Biomedical engineering draws students from across the country, including senior Jacob Good, who had to learn to shift into college life while also moving from his home state of Pennsylvania to live in College Station.
Good said Texas A&M University offered the best opportunity academically and financially with the scholarships he was provided. Choosing to pursue biomedical engineering, however, took some time as Good was drawn toward two majors in high school, engineering and actuarial science.
Both of Good’s parents are nurses, and finding a video about prosthetics pushed him over the edge to study biomedical engineering because he was captivated by the impact the field can have in the world.
“I looked into engineering, and I decided that I wanted to impact the world as opposed to just impacting myself,” Good said. “Nothing against actuarial science, I just wanted to have
Good’s interests within biomedical engineering have shifted over the years. He is now pursuing pharmaceutics and enjoys the drug portion of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Breaking the ice
Looking back on his time at Texas A&M, Good said his first semester was difficult because he came in knowing no one and most students came in with already established friends.
“Refocusing myself on my reasons for coming to college, to position myself with a biomedical engineering degree, is when I started to find comfort,” Good said.
Good quickly began to meet people through organizations, including the BMEN Ambassadors his junior year.
“I work jobs, do research and take a full course load, but one of my favorite choices I made was to join BMEN Ambassadors,” Good said. “This is where I can share my passion for biomedical engineering and Texas A&M with prospective students and faculty.”
He is also a peer teacher for a biomedical engineering coding class he took
“That’s something I’ve really enjoyed doing because it’s helping people,” Good said. “I was in their situation last year and succeeded, and I wanted to give people the formula to how they can succeed. Being able to help students work toward four-year graduation is really rewarding.”
Good is on the six-year track and expects to graduate with his bachelor’s degree in spring 2020, followed by his master’s of engineering degree in winter 2020.
Future plans
Good said his long-term goal is to become part of
“My goal with biomedical engineering is to establish a strong background in the medical field and move up on the business side in the
To gain experience in
“I was doing market research, bioanalytical statistics, things along those lines that I really got to see the whole aspect of a company, and in a small company that is really nice,” Good said. “It was very helpful to see all of the different aspects of biomedical engineering in one place.
Advice
Good encouraged students to recognize that the four years of college will change the rest of their lives, for better or worse.
“There are so many opportunities here — research, access to the incredible faculty, the traditions — those opportunities are not always captured,” Good said. “People let them go and think, ‘OK, I'll just have fun here,’ when Texas A&M offers incredible opportunities with research and academics. Those should be cherished and utilized.”
“In the