Tom // Electrical Engineer

Nikon D810, Nikon 50mm f/1.8

Tom is an electrical engineer. Tom is the epitome of an engineer - in a good way. Tom has been my mentor and friend for the last 3.5 years. We ate breakfast together on my last day as a SAIC employee and I made a couple portraits of him afterwards. These portraits are an effort on my part to document people who have influenced my life in some form or fashion.

In July 2011, I was transferred to the Indy branch of SAIC. I was an electrical engineering student at IUPUI and Tom was a very experienced electrical engineer at SAIC with 40+ years in the industry. We started working together and quickly developed a special relationship. He taught me so much about electrical engineering and life. There was never a time when Tom used his knowledge to demean me or make me feel silly. He treated all of my mistakes and successes with respect. He took great care to mentor me.

Our daily conversations covered a wide range of topics from personal to work-related, but always included a cup of coffee. Tom always insisted that I "buy" him a cup of coffee, even though SAIC provided free coffee for its employees. 

As of last week, I am an electronics engineer at NSWC Crane on the federal side of the house. I feel extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to work with Tom. I have grown in so many ways thanks to him. I hope to be able to play such a defining role in someone's life one day. Thanks Tom.

p.s. It goes without saying that there were several co-workers at SAIC who had an impact on me :)

Nikon D810, Nikon 50mm f/1.8