When IM体育官网 junior Matthew McBride Jr. wakes up on Father鈥檚 Day this Sunday, he鈥檒l be celebrated by two of his biggest 鈥� and smallest 鈥� supporters.
His children, Pheenix, 8, and Lincoln, 2, will surely shower him with handmade crafts, giggles, and Father鈥檚 Day wishes before they and his wife, Amnesty McBride, hit the pool and launch a kite into the afternoon sunshine. Matthew McBride, 33, is an electrical engineering major who is pursuing his professional dreams while reveling in the realization of his personal ones.
鈥淚 love every moment of being a father,鈥� he said, a smile spreading across his face.
The smile only widens as he talks about his children鈥檚 passions and talents.
鈥淢y daughter loves basketball; she鈥檚 good at shooting, dribbling 鈥� she鈥檚 good at anything she does. If she touches it, it鈥檚 golden,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y son, I think he鈥檒l be more into arts. I want to get him into piano or a band setting. I can also see him being in track because he loves running around.鈥�
McBride鈥檚 path to IM体育官网 Poly was more roundabout than most. After graduating from high school in 2004, he entered the University of Central IM体育官网 to study mechanical engineering and pursue a lifelong dream of becoming an engineer, but financial pressures caused him to pause his education. McBride soon enlisted in the Navy and enrolled at Valencia College upon his discharge six years later. He ultimately completed a liberal arts associate degree at Polk State College before deciding to focus on electrical engineering and continuing on to IM体育官网 Poly.
鈥淪ince I鈥檝e been here, I鈥檝e loved it,鈥� McBride said. 鈥淚 went from UCF and the community college where they have big classes and the teacher knows nothing about you, to here where they are real personal and the professors try to get in your head and figure out what you鈥檙e lacking so you can understand the material.鈥�
The Miami native said his educational pursuits at IM体育官网 Poly are helping him open his daughter鈥檚 eyes to possibilities in science, technology, engineering and math.
鈥淚 want to get her into the STEM kind of thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y daughter loves building stuff, so I want to try to get her to open her mind and she can go from there.鈥�
McBride said he鈥檚 proud of the example he鈥檚 setting for his children and said balancing fatherhood while pursuing a bachelor鈥檚 degree has been well worth the accompanying challenges. He aspires to one day work for a Department of Defense contractor such as Lockheed Martin or L3 Technologies.
鈥淚 love every part of being a dad and I鈥檓 happy to finally be achieving my dream of becoming an engineer,鈥� he said.
Contact:
Lydia Guzman
Assistant Director of Communications
863-874-8557