Jonathan Torsch: Stepping Up to the Challenge

Jonathan Torsch of Old Town struggled in high school while coping with his mother’s cancer diagnosis and grandfather’s death. Falling behind in school cost him acceptance into college, so he turned his focus toward work. When he was laid off from his retail job five years later, he decided to go back to school and enrolled at Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) where he earned an associate degree in electrical and automation technology, graduated with a 4.0 GPA and was named the 2013 EMCC Student of the Year.

To continue to challenge himself, Torsch transferred to UMaine to earn a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering technology, which he expects to earn in the spring of 2015 — again with a 4.0 GPA.

He also is OSHA certified, a licensed Journeyman-in-Training Electrician and is studying to earn his Maine Engineer-in-Training License.

Why did you decide to study engineering?
Honestly, ending up in engineering as a field of study was a happy accident. Growing up, my family didn’t have a lot. My father — working as a mechanic — and my mother — working in retail optometry — both earned sub-standard wages. Providing for my older sister and me was tough.

High school was particularly where things became turbulent for me. At home, my mother was diagnosed with cancer (of which she is currently in remission) and my grandfather, whom I was very close with, passed away. At school, I was no longer challenged by my classes, and despite doing well on exams, I failed to attend classes and do homework, and barely passed my senior year. I applied to UMaine and was initially rejected.

From there, I enveloped myself with work, picking up several jobs in retail stores, working up to 70 hours a week. Most notably, I earned the position of assistant manager at the Blockbuster in Bangor and worked there for four years. When they began their downward spiral, the first round of cuts was to — perhaps serendipitously — terminate every assistant manager in the company.

I knew that if I took another retail position, I would be succumbing to the same fate as my parents, and I didn’t want that for my family — both present and future. I decided that it was time to go back to school. I was unsure of exactly where I would excel, but I enrolled in the electrical and automation technology program at EMCC, with the intention of learning a trade that I would have at my disposal the rest of my life; providing job security and higher earnings for my family.

It worked out perfectly, as the program at EMCC is far more geared toward engineering than electrician work, as I had initially thought it to be. I absolutely fell in love with engineering, and could not see myself doing anything else now. Problem solving, logic, organization, teamwork and strong math skills are exactly what engineering can instill, and with those, I have found success not only academically but in many other areas in life.

Upon graduating from EMCC, I knew that I had to continue to push forward and challenge myself in the electrical engineering technology program at UMaine.

What did it mean to be named the 2013 EMCC Student of the Year?
I’m not someone who gets particularly wrapped up in pomp and circumstance. To me, the award served more as validation for the efforts I had put in and the transformation I had gone through. I had proven that I was worth more than what I had thought prior, and that if I combined my aptitude, attitude and some good old-fashioned hard work, I could achieve anything I wanted to.

How did EMCC prepare you for UMaine?
The hands-on, rigorous and enveloping electrical and automation technology program is an amazing experience. I was challenged on a daily basis, as we received a focus on the hands-on application of ideas from the classroom while also delving deep into the theory behind it all.

I attended with several like-minded, nontraditional students who all were there solely to better themselves and their future while learning as much as they possibly could from the courses and each other.

I was provided with not only a strong academic experience, but also an invaluable professional and interpersonal development. Lab work taught us how to work as a team, facility visits gave us insight into the real careers that exist in the world, and honest advisers and professors not only taught us what they had learned about the subjects themselves, but also valuable professional and life lessons.

Why did you decide to come to UMaine to pursue a higher degree?
The time I spent at EMCC was the most fulfilled and the most challenged I had ever felt. I was absolutely addicted to engineering and academia. I wanted to attend UMaine to pursue a higher degree to learn as much as I could about all of the aspects of the electrical, power and automation engineering world.

It also served as another challenge for myself. After seeing what I could achieve at EMCC, I had to know what was possible for me at UMaine. I haven’t been disappointed yet.

Tell us about your internship with TRC Companies, Inc.:
I have been working as an intern/designer with TRC Companies, Inc. in Augusta since summer 2012. TRC is one of the foremost engineering firms with a presence in Maine, and while there I have learned an incredible amount.

I have worked specifically with the automation and communications group. With them, I have done drafting in AutoCAD, designed communication profiles, programmed substation relays and devices, and was the lead on building a piece of software from the ground up that is now used daily to automate internal processes, saving the group large chunks of meticulously spent time.

Have you worked closely with a professor or mentor who has made your UMaine experience better?
I have been incredibly fortunate in my academic career to be provided the best mentors someone could ask for.

At EMCC, Rick Reardon was an incredible influence on me. I owe an incredible amount of where my future is headed to him. He was my adviser, professor and the head of the electrical and automation technology program, and his commitment to every student really helped me grow academically, professionally and personally. He stands out as someone I admire and aspire to be like because of his consistently positive attitude, his excitement for education and the material both in and out of the classroom, and his investment to the betterment of others.

In making the transition to UMaine, I was fortunate to have Jude Pearse as my adviser, professor and supervisor for my teacher’s assistant and lab technician work. Her commitment to the students is something that followed nicely with Rick’s style, and it made my transfer much more smooth and welcoming than I could have hoped for.

She stands out as someone I admire and aspire to be like because of her commitment to being a human first — recognizing that whether student or professor, younger or older, employee or employer, we’re all just people with the same main goals in life, and we can approach professional goals together while maintaining a fun and engaging social environment.

What are your plans for after graduation?
First and foremost — work. I hope to obtain a career in my field after graduation. I’d love to work in the automation and/or power engineering fields, as those are the areas of study that have most intrigued me, as well as the ones in which I have had the most success. Meanwhile, I plan to attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute in pursuit of a master’s degree in power systems engineering, and eventually work toward earning my professional engineering license in Maine.