Introduction (BrandonBurklund)

Hi everyone, my name is Brandon Burklund and I am beginning my last semester as a senior here at the University of Oklahoma. My major is Mechanical Engineering, which I plan to utilize in the field either through design or more of a lab setting. I am originally from Godfrey, Illinois, which is a small suburb north of Saint Louis.

Downtown of my hometown (Godfrey/Alton, IL)

I first gained interest in the University of Oklahoma when I was a junior in high school, as I was roughly nine hours from the campus, when my older cousin initially came here as a Mechanical Engineer on scholarship. Despite having multiple, more northern schools on my radar such as the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin, I came down to Norman sometime in April my senior year to finally visit the campus. You would think the nine hour car ride through a less than scenic Missouri and Oklahoma alone would turn me off to the idea of coming here on top of going somewhere where I did not know anyone outside of a single family member, but it took all of about five minutes into my tour when walking on the South Oval that I knew I had found my home for the next four years. Coming onto campus that fall of my freshman year was daunting to say the least as I was on my own for the first time and quickly realized all of the things you take for granted when in your own home/hometown. Fast forward now to my senior year and it feels like its been the fastest seven semesters of my life, but each so full of countless memories that I wouldn't change for the world. Being in a complete different part of the United States has helped me grow into the person I am today and I wouldn't change it for the world. I even plan on moving to Texas as opposed to my recurring childhood desire to one day move up to Chicago. As I sit and think about how I have reached the beginning of the end of my time on campus I realize how lucky I was to go to such a great university and look forward to spending my last semester in this class as well as meeting the rest of you soon.