Computer Engineering
Biography
Hello! My name is Elijah Raffel, and I am currently studying Computer Engineering with a minor in Engineering Entrepreneurship. I am also a proud member of the 2025 Cohort of the Heath Integrated Business and Engineering Program (HIBEP) at the University of Tennessee. Originally from Memphis, I grew up with four little sisters and one little brother, which has significantly shaped my leadership skills and self-drive.
From a young age, I found a keen interest in tinkering with technology around me. This passion led me to join and eventually run my high school’s robotics club. Balancing club responsibilities while helping raise my siblings honed my leadership abilities and ingrained a strong sense of responsibility.
Key Skills Developed:
- Leadership: Gained from running the robotics club.
- Self-Drive: Necessitated by managing multiple tasks efficiently.
- Team Collaboration: Learned the importance of leveraging team strengths.
Realizing that effective teamwork is crucial in entrepreneurship was one of my most valuable lessons during this period.
Joining HIBEP was a strategic choice to gain deeper insights into business operations and enhance my problem-solving network for future entrepreneurial endeavors.
- Business Acumen: Provides better understanding of business dynamics.
- Networking: Helps identify who to consult when facing challenges.
- Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Merges engineering principles with business strategies.
The program offers an integrated approach that aligns perfectly with my career aspirations in engineering entrepreneurship.
In terms of immediate professional goals, I aim to gain diverse experiences through internships to pinpoint which engineering field fascinates me the most—particularly low-level hardware or hardware development.
- Internship Experience: Seeking varied opportunities for comprehensive learning.
- Field Interest: Focus on embedded systems or hardware development.
- Future Inspiration: Aim to derive innovative ideas from industry practices.
These experiences will provide crucial insights into how future products are developed, hopefully inspiring entrepreneurial ventures of my own down the line.
