MY BEYOND THESE TOWERS STORY

Although David Andrade ’92 majored in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering, it was his Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP), WPI Emergency Medical Service (EMS) experience, and Airforce Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) membership that put him on the path of community service.

Andrade says his IQP, which studied the quality of technical education in the United States, showed him how important STEM education is to humanity and inspired him to enter the field of education following graduation. Likewise, his experiences with the WPI EMS program on campus led to Andrade’s career as a paramedic. He served as a part-time paramedic for twenty-two years, which included working as an EMS instructor and responding to NYC for 9/11. “WPI’s EMS program got me started on a career that let me help people and save lives; I even got to deliver three babies in the field during my career.” Similarly, Andrade’s ROTC membership built on his skills as an Eagle Scout and kept service to one’s community in the forefront of his mind.

Reflecting on his WPI journey, Andrade says, “WPI’s small size and project-based learning are what drew me to the school. I loved the campus, the people, and the programs. I truly enjoyed my experience at WPI and learned so much. Being able to learn on my own and apply what I learned to real world situations is something that helped make me successful and something I think more schools need to focus on.”

During his career, Andrade served as a senior education strategist working with schools on their technology projects as well as a school district chief information officer. He is currently the business development manager of Google Services at CDW, an international technology solutions provider.