Whats next for the Class of 2026: Owen Paschke

“What’s next for the Class of 2026” is a series that features Lafayette grads—where they’re headed, and the mentors, resources, and experiences that inspired their future path. Stay tuned for more stories throughout April and May.

(Photo | JaQuan Alston)

By: Kelly Huth

Major/minor:

Mechanical engineering

Destination/future plans:

Owen Paschke ’26 will head to an engineering rotation program at Williams International in Detroit, a manufacturer of small jet engines for passenger aircraft. 

Involvement on campus:

Paschke is president of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society (a role he’s held since fall 2025), and thankful to be part of this organization. At an October conference, he connected with Tau Beta Pi alumni working in his field who encouraged him to apply to Williams International.

He’s spent seven semesters with Engineers Without Borders (spring 2023-spring 2026), an entirely student-run group that takes on projects in the local community and on campus. He served as project lead for three semesters, vice president for two, and helped to design and manufacture sensory boards for Gracedale Nursing Home’s Memory Care unit. “The goal of these boards is to slow the onset of dementia,” he says. “There’s a healthy amount of research out there that working with fine motor skills and familiar tactile objects may help slow the onset.” 

Since spring 2023, Paschke also volunteered every Monday at Easton Garden Works, which maintains community gardens throughout Downtown Easton. He says the weekly commitment is a good way to help others, get outside, and learn about sustainable land use practices.

Paschke signed up for club baseball his first fall on campus and has continued throughout his time at Lafayette, serving as vice president (fall 2023-spring 2024) and team captain (fall 2024-spring 2026). “It’s been great. I love playing baseball, and it’s been a low-pressure outlet for me to get outside, have fun on the weekends, and move my body,” Paschke says.

Paschke also worked as a backstage technician at Williams Center for the Arts, setting up the stage and lights for the many performances throughout the year. “My favorite part is getting to work some of the shows, running lights, and interacting with world-class performers.”

The experiences that mattered most:

Studying abroad in Madrid in spring of his sophomore year was an incredible highlight for Paschke. The opportunity to study abroad as an engineering major was the reason he chose to come to Lafayette.

“I found through my college search that not many places made it possible to study abroad and graduate with an engineering degree in four years,” Paschke says. “Lafayette does a really good job of making this possible.

“I’m thankful every day I did that. It was so amazing to go abroad with friends and have those relationships strengthened tenfold while exploring a new country, keeping up with coursework, all while actively supported and encouraged by the Engineering Department.”

How Lafayette shaped your future:

Gateway Career Center hosts Career Fairs in the fall and spring, and it was there that Paschke connected with two Lehigh Valley-based companies for internships following his sophomore and junior years. 

Engineers Without Borders manufactured sensory boards for residents at Gracedale.

“That was invaluable—being able to make a face-to-face connection and shake someone’s hand,” he says of the Career Fairs.

Through his internship with Air Products, he gained experience in materials science work and failure analysis. The following year he completed a manufacturing engineering internship at Lutron’s Virginia office. “It was a great experience moving to a new city, living on my own, and learning to put roots down.”

Gateway also facilitated a weeklong virtual externship at Deloitte focused on infrastructure and financial advisory, where he learned about the world of consulting. All of the experiences helped him to narrow his focus on what he ultimately wanted his next step after Lafayette to look like.

“I got a piece of advice early on: It’s as important to learn what you like as it is to learn what you don’t.”

Why Lafayette?

“I think the most unique part about Lafayette is how personable and accessible the professors are,” Paschke says. “I’ve really found that being one of 70 engineers in my class, your professors know your name, they’re happy to see you in office hours, and say hi in the halls. 

“The Mechanical Engineering Department started sign-ups for meals with professors so I’ve gotten to know them a bit more outside of the classroom, which has been a really unique experience,” Paschke says. “At other schools students don’t get that close connection with professors who are helping them learn, the ones who are shaping their future.”

The people who inspired you along the way:

Paschke is grateful for the connection with Chip Nataro, Marshall R. Metzgar Professor of Chemistry, department head, and Paschke’s baseball coach. 

“He was really influential and someone who I knew was in my corner on campus,” Paschke says. “Through my involvement with baseball, it was heartening to know that someone was pulling for me on campus. He is always in my corner, on my side, and he wrote my recommendation letters.”

He also is thankful for the steadfast dedication of Laura Wallace, assistant director and career counselor at Gateway Career Center.

“Laura Wallace has been there every step of the way for me,” Paschke says. “Whenever I have something come up, whether it is helping with my job search, offering evaluations, or making a plan, she’s always been a great resource. I can shoot her an email, and we’ll find a time within 48 hours to talk.”

In the classroom, Paschke won’t forget the support he got from Peter Nguyen, visiting assistant professor, mechanical engineering. 

“I had him for labs three semesters now, and he’s been really helpful, getting me through the really hard, nitty-gritty parts of mechanical engineering,” he says. “I’ve had him for the thermal fluids lab, control systems lab, and instrumentation and data acquisition lab. He’s made himself available whenever I’m stuck or have questions, and we’ve become pretty good friends.”

Advice for future Leopards:

Paschke says the best way he can put it is: Say yes.

“Lafayette is the type of place where opportunities abound. Coming in my first year I had no idea Engineers Without Borders existed, no idea there was an engineering honor society, or club baseball,” he says. 

“Really it was my willingness to say yes that made my Lafayette experience what it is today.”

Paschke says he took every opportunity that came his way, saying yes to joining the engineering honor society, serving as vice president of club baseball, and volunteering. He didn’t come in with a list of activities he wanted to try, but he said yes to trying new things and developed a reputation for being a dependable person.

“Not every opportunity works out, and not everything has to be an eight-semester activity. But all the things I’m going to look back on and remember Lafayette fondly for are products of me putting my hand up for things, things I was willing to try.”