High Hopes: A lifelong fascination with aerospace

Samuel Yossef, 38

City: Everett
Program: Mechanical Engineering at Washington State University (Everett)

Q: How did you come to enroll in this program?
A: I’m originally from Ethiopia: I moved from Seattle to Everett to work as an electrician for Boeing. Boeing had a great program that would pay for my education while working. I discovered it would take two years longer, balancing work and school. I had to make a tough choice. I decided to quit work, take on the full financial burden but graduate two years faster.

Q: Why change career paths?
A: My interest in mechanical engineering is because I have an inclination toward that area. It’s the broadest engineering field and it’s very flexible. I can take many different paths. I’ve always been interested in aerospace — it’s been my passion since I was a kid. I’ve always been fascinated by Boeing. There’s strong support of the product in Ethiopia. I had family members who were pilots and, early on, it gave me a passion for aviation. I didn’t want to be a pilot. I wanted to understand how planes operate. Read more