 Jesse Shapiro, BS Mechanical Engineering, University
of New Mexico, MS planned in Environmental Engineering.
Read Jesse's Blog
My name is Jesse Shapiro and I am a Gemini. I like blue. Oops…I
mean green. No for reals…purple. My favorite things include
a backscratcher, the sun, flip flops, and thought.
Some people call me Pants, I think it is because I sometimes wear
them although I prefer not to. Hey I’m an idealist. I love
the outdoors, sports, nudity, food, yoga, pictures, free stuff,
movies, water, and warm weather. My history starts at birth. I was
born in Santa Fe, NM on June 19, 1979 to one mother, Deborah, and
one father, Alan. The first couple months of my life were spent
in a Tepee while my parents finished building our adobe house on
15 acres outside of town.
When I was three my brother Jacob was born, I don’t remember
it, but I do remember he later became useful to beat on during teen
age years. At age 6, I broke my arm after jumping off a backhoe.
I’ve been told I had a large fascination with Superman. Crap
I think I still do…it must the S. High school flew by, wooosh!
I went to my junior prom in drag, fun times. After high school I
went to George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Although it was fun living in the big city and joining a fraternity,
after 2 years, I soon became a drunken idiot and moved back home.
There I went to community college and delivered pizza. After a year
I found I could go down to the Burque to University of New Mexico
to finish my Mechanical Engineering degree, I did. There I spent
the next few years schoolin’, workin’, and socializin’.
Social wise I was very happy, I had made the best friends and relationships
anyone could ask for. Career wise I found that the military industrial
complex in and around Albuquerque was not for me.
I needed a drastic and quick redirection of goals and priorities.
Fortunately during the last semester of my undergraduate I had been
slowly learning and experimenting with sustainability especially
as it applies to diet. In sustainability, I had found the hint of
something wonderful. I soon found and applied to a couple graduate
engineering
programs relating to sustainability topics.
One in particular program caught my eye, Master International Peace
Corps. I thought, 'What the $#@&!' They give you a Master's
degree for that? Sweet! I graduated from UNM in December 2003 and
started traveling, on credit cards of course. I went to Europe for
a month with my best friend Phil then in April took
another month in Peru.
In Peru I met many people who had done the Peace Corps in their
lives and they all said it was one of the best and most defining
experiences they had ever had. When I learned that Michigan Tech
had added the sustainability certificate to their sustainability
institute I thought 'Sustainability and the Peace Corps' I was sold.
Upon my return in May I quickly sent in my letter of intent. Now
I find my self in a wonderful position; I've met amazing people
I have waited my whole life for, I'm pursuing sustainability learning
and experience with vigor, and am preparing for the experience of
a lifetime to somewhere unknown. I love my life.
Read Jesse's Blog at:
http://pceasttimor.blogspot.com/ |
