Senior Spotlight: Justin Koch

Caltech's class of 2015 is group of smart, creative, and curious individuals. They are analytical thinkers, performers, researchers, engineers, athletes, and leaders who are ready to apply the lessons they have learned from Caltech's rigorous academic environment and the unique experiences they had as part of this close-knit community to pursue future challenges. 

We talked to two of these graduates, Justin Koch and Phoebe Ann, about their years at Caltech and what will come next.

Other graduates share their stories in videos posted on Caltech's Facebook page.

Watch as they and their peers are honored at Caltech's 121st commencement on June 12 at 10 a.m. If you can't be in Pasadena, the ceremony will be live-streamed at http://www.ustream.tv/caltech. You may also follow the action and share your favorite commencement moments on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using #Caltech2015 in your tweets and postings.

Justin Koch

Major: Mechanical Engineering
House: Blacker
Hometown: Townsend, Delaware

Why did you originally decide to come to Caltech?

The rigorous academic environment was certainly a consideration in choosing Caltech. However, I really made my decision after visiting the campus for Prefrosh Weekend. I found the housing system to be a unique experience that was something I had not seen at other schools.

Were you involved in extracurricular activities at Caltech?

The main extracurricular activity I'm involved with is the Caltech Robotics Team. I was part of the group that founded the club my freshmen year, and for the past two years I've led the team through my role as project manager. I've been interested in robotics since middle school and have been involved with robotics teams since sixth grade. We are currently building an underwater autonomous vehicle for a competition called RoboSub.

This past year I've also served as president of Blacker House. I've enjoyed the opportunity to give back to my house, which has definitely helped me enjoy my experience at Caltech.

What was your most memorable experience?

One of my most memorable experiences at Caltech was participating in the ME 72 competition my junior year. We spent two terms designing and building robots to compete in a competition involving head-to-head battle between robots trying to get a soup can to the top of a raised platform. Our hard work paid off and we ended up winning the competition. Though the competition was memorable, I'll never forget all the long hours we spent building the robots.

What did you not know about Caltech that you learned after being here?

I did not fully understand quite how focused Caltech is on theory and research until after arriving here. The rigor of the classes was definitely much harder than anything I had ever done before. However, through my involvement with the Caltech Robotics Team I've been able to balance my knowledge of theory through classes with the applied technical skills I learn through the team.

What will you be doing after Caltech?

After Caltech I will be working as a robotics engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab. I'll be working in section 347 on robotic systems for a variety of environments, including land, space, and ocean applications.

Throughout my career I hope to work on the cutting edge of robotics. Although I am a mechanical engineer, I enjoy working on systems that require skills in not only mechanical engineering but electrical engineering and computer science as well.

Any words of advice to incoming students?

My advice to incoming students is to find an activity besides classwork that you're passionate about. Caltech can be a very intense place, so it's important to find another outlet besides classes. If a club that you want to be a part of doesn't exist, then take the initiative to start one. At Caltech it's very easy to start a club and there are a lot of resources out there to help.