Physics isn’t the only thing that Junior Joe Pelletier has — literally — down to a science. He’s also earning his degree in being involved in what can only be described as “literally everything.” Because of his active social life and personable disposition, it’s easy to overlook just how many things Joe is involved in. But he dabbles in pretty much as many aspects of life as a 20-year-old can.
“Currently, I’m a barista at the Cap Bar, I work off campus at an Italian restaurant, I’m the president of UD Swim, and I’m the social media chair for Blue Crew,” Pelletier said.
Between making the perfect latte art and posting updates on Facebook about Blue Crew events, Pelletier nevertheless finds ample time to be with his friends, spend time with his brother and attend to his studies.
Aside from being socially involved, Joe’s actual major is in arguably one of the hardest subjects in existence. Coming from someone who knows next to nothing about science, physics is extremely mind-boggling. For Pelletier, however, it’s an endless fountain of interest.
“Physics majors aren’t really a dying breed because everything is physics,” Pelletier said. “I’ve found that my physics classes are always interesting as long as I am able to understand the material, which can be difficult at times.
“It really helps to have excellent professors who know pretty much everything backwards and forwards. When the material gets difficult to understand they’re very good at explaining it and breaking it down so it’s easier to understand. It’s also nice to have smart classmates to study with and good friends for emotional support when things get a little stressful.”
Pelletier’s goals for his future lend have lent themselves well to his major, and they have aided him in persevering in the subject when it proves difficult.
“Since high school, my goal has always been engineering, and I knew that studying physics would give me a great foundation for it,” Pelletier said. “Out of all my physics classes, I enjoyed the mechanics classes the most so I plan on getting my masters degree in mechanical engineering. I’ve done a lot of research on the different types of engineering and I really like how it is one of the more general engineering fields.”
Despite the fact that he hopes to be an engineer, he finds that his vision accords with the University of Dallas education as a whole.
“When I first came to UD I was not sold on the whole idea of the Core,” Pelletier said. “Now I can’t stop telling people about it. A lot of my friends back home have asked me why I would ever choose to go to UD when I want to pursue engineering, and I always tell them the Core is what sets this apart from any other school.
“Being well rounded and having the ability to look at a problem from a variety of viewpoints is so important for engineers. In a field where everything is becoming more automated, you have to be able to take a problem, think critically and come up with a creative solution.”
Pelletier has clearly taken “being well-rounded” to heart, as he has shown to be passionate about various diverse activities. He is truly the coolest coffee maker/school spirit promoter/soccer enthusiast/future engineer out there.
