John Murphy and Felix Hong have traversed distinctive but parallel trips, from serving their nation to pursuing complicated levels thru Dartmouth’s on-line Grasp of Engineering in Pc Engineering (MEng). Each veterans are making use of the self-discipline and talents they honed within the army to take on intellectually enriching demanding situations in {hardware} and instrument engineering. Right here’s a glimpse into their tales and what drives them as they navigate the net program.
John Murphy: Bridging the Hole Between Tool and {Hardware}
After spending 5 years within the Army, together with a deployment to Iraq, John Murphy transitioned to civilian lifestyles with a pressure to excel in each entrepreneurship and generation. His profession developed from main development initiatives in aerospace and protection to launching two small companies taken with business IoT (Web of Issues) answers. Regardless of this sequence of accomplishments and making a balancing act between his profession and being a father to 3 small children, John sought out extra alternatives for private expansion.
“I wished extra formal training,” John mentioned. “I sought after one thing between instrument and {hardware}—the place the economic IoT house lives for me.”
When John gained an e-mail from Coursera about Dartmouth’s program, the timing couldn’t were higher. Together with his Submit-9/11 GI Invoice expiring in 2029, he knew this was once his alternative to discover getting his grasp’s level. Dartmouth’s program was once an excellent have compatibility—providing flexibility, rigorous coursework, and a stability between instrument and {hardware} engineering.
For John, the net structure was once non-negotiable. “I’m a operating dad with 3 younger youngsters,” he mentioned. “The versatility was once essential. Dartmouth’s program is the whole thing I can have was hoping for—small, well-thought-out, and curated.”
Regardless of the net structure, the hands-on nature of this system stood out to John, specifically the Embedded Techniques path, the place scholars gained {hardware} kits at house to debug actual programs. “It was once so sensible and at once related to what I do each day,” he shared.
Balancing paintings, circle of relatives, and college isn’t any small feat, however John credit his army background for making ready him to care for intense power. “The curriculum is difficult—10 weeks filled with a complete semester’s price of subject matter,” he mentioned. “However I don’t need to simply get by way of. I need to do properly.”
Collaboration has additionally been key to his luck. This system’s Slack neighborhood fosters a way of camaraderie permitting freshmen to stick in contact and lend a hand every different all over this system. John notes, “The scholars are extremely supportive. My group from the primary path nonetheless assists in keeping in contact, even if we’re scattered around the globe.”
Felix Hong: From IT within the Military to Engineering the Long run
Born and raised in Hawaii, Felix Hong came upon his hobby for computer systems early in lifestyles, which led him to pursue a point in pc engineering on the College of Hawaii at Manoa. After graduating in 2020, Felix sought a option to align his profession together with his educational background.
His army enjoy, which integrated IT toughen, pc networking, and satellite tv for pc communications, bolstered his fascination with how computer systems keep up a correspondence internationally. “Within the army, I had to determine the way to remedy issues in far flung places, ceaselessly with restricted assets,” Felix defined. “That taught me the way to adapt and paintings with other people from other cultures and backgrounds.”
When Felix’s spouse got here throughout Dartmouth’s program on LinkedIn, she inspired him to use. The asynchronous structure and versatility had been very best for his agenda as a contractor operating in labeled environments. “Dartmouth’s recognition as an Ivy League faculty and the birthplace of AI sealed the deal for me,” he mentioned.
Like John, Felix has discovered the Embedded Techniques path to be a spotlight. Demanding situations arose throughout classes like Herbal Language Processing (NLP), which driven him to wreck down summary ideas into tangible effects. “It’s like chemistry—you don’t perceive desk salt till you notice the weather come in combination,” he defined.
Felix sees a shiny long run in engineering fields like quantum computing and AI-driven cybersecurity, the place he hopes to handle essential demanding situations like quantum-resistant encryption. “The present algorithms aren’t ready for the age of quantum computing,” he mentioned. “I’d like to paintings on gadgets that push the limits of safety and conversation.”
This system’s interactive parts have inspired Felix, specifically the professors’ lively presence on Slack. “It’s nice to get quick updates or ask questions on coursework,” he mentioned.
Deployed in Guam, Felix credit the army with instilling the construction and self-discipline had to be triumphant. “Within the carrier, lifestyles is arranged chaos,” he mentioned. “You realize every day begins with the bugle and ends with the flag coming backtrack the flagpole.” With civilian lifestyles being somewhat extra summary and open-ended, Felix is thankful for the construction that upper training supplied him, and the alternatives he is aware of a Dartmouth level will carry.
Shared Values, Distinctive Paths
For each John and Felix, Dartmouth’s on-line MEng program provides extra than simply technical experience—it supplies a neighborhood of like-minded friends and a chance to develop past their army reviews.
Whether or not it’s John making use of business IoT answers or Felix tackling quantum computing demanding situations, each veterans embrace the resilience, adaptability, and interest had to excel in engineering and past. As they proceed their trips, we thank them for his or her carrier and need them properly on their street to commencement.
