Watching TV shows such
as How It’s Made while
growing up sparked an
interest in engineering for Jamal.
When it came time to look at
colleges, SCSU stood out thanks to
its faculty with industry experience.
“I toured a lot of schools, but
SCSU’s teachers had backgrounds
in industry. Dr. Sezen for instance
brought insight from his time working
on sensors, and Tim Goodner had
experience in the auto industry. They
weren’t just academics but had
worked for companies as engineers
and had the stories to tell about it.”

Joining Husky Formula Racing
(HFR)—a student team that
designs, builds and races a car in
the Formula SAE competition—
was a defining part of his time at
SCSU. “Creating a race car from
scratch, then competing against
other universities, was an incredible
learning experience. The competition
raised the bar because it mimics
what companies do in a competitive
marketplace where engineers work.”

Through HFR, he found that problem
solving, and self-teaching were the
most important skills. His team had
to learn about vehicle dynamics and
fabrication, for instance. Not only did
they have to practice documentation
in their courses, but they had to
actually do it, then present it to
engineers from companies like
GM and Blue Origin. “Getting the
engineers’ feedback on the team’s
reports and designs was a game
changer. That feedback taught us
how professionals think. It shaped
how I approach engineering today.”

Having to collaborate and work
under time and budget constraints
on the HFR car helped prepare him
for real jobs post-graduation.

Now a Manufacturing Engineer at
Protolabs, he uses those same skills
daily where he focuses on creating
products that are high quality but
made as efficiently as possible.
“The hands-on experience and
problem-solving mindset I developed
at SCSU gave me a major head
start,” he said. Courses like Intro
to Engineering, Graphic Design
using SolidWorks, and Materials
Science provided a strong technical
foundation for designing safe,
effective components.

Beyond academics, HFR provided
a sense of community. “It made
the tough coursework more
manageable. We were all in it
together, and that camaraderie
mattered. And, the Mechanical
Engineering degree significantly
boosted my earning potential. I
wouldn’t have my job without it!”