McMaster BTech alumni score top jobs at Apple
Landing a full time gig at Apple headquarters in Silicon Valley might seem like a dream for many university students. But as two graduates from the McMaster-Mohawk Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) program can attest, the right combination of passion, hard work and a sound educational path can pay big dividends.
Over the last decade, Roberto Ribeiro and Tim Pollock have followed uncannily similar paths that would eventually lead the two hardware (systems) engineers down the hall from one another at Apple. But their journey to the high-tech epicenter of the world has been unconventional.
After completing advanced diplomas in Mechanical Engineering Technology, specializing in Design/Analysis and Robotics/ Automation (respectively) from Conestoga College in 2009, they began work in the trades. But Ribeiro had doubts.
“I recognized [trades weren’t] a good fit,” he says. “I had the skill set, aptitude and drive to become one of the engineers working on the air conditioned side of the plant.”
Turns out, Pollock felt much the same. Unbeknownst to the other, they entered B. Tech. The pair soon formed a bond as they began studying and working together on class and extracurricular projects.
In just 24 months, Ribeiro and Pollock graduated with top grades and went on to further their educations at the University of Waterloo, both with full scholarships in hand, to each complete a Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc). Within months of completing their theses’, they were being courted by Apple.
“It’s been an interesting ride having traversed the same educational ladder and then magically landing in the same company,” says Pollock.
Despite having diplomas and degrees from other educational institutions in their back pockets, Ribeiro and Pollock credit much of their current success to the opportunities that were afforded to them at McMaster.
“[The B.Tech. program] made me a better engineer and a more attractive candidate for master’s degree studies,” says Pollock. “Not only did I understand how things work, but it gave me a deeper [understanding] of why things work.”
At Apple, Ribeiro and Pollock get to continue fueling their passions for learning by working on such high-level projects as motion sensors and vibration mechanisms for mobile devices. “They’re doing incredibly innovative work there,” says Ribeiro.
And if Ribeiro or Pollock ever feel homesick, they simply meet up for a beer. After all, great minds think alike.