Mr. Whelan teaches engineering classes at Arrowhead High School. I was in his class freshman year for Intro to Engineering and junior year for Civil Engineering. Going into high school, I had no idea what engineering was. Throughout middle school I excelled at math and science, so I was encouraged by my parents to try an engineering course. Mr. Whelan showed me what engineering was through fun projects. We made rockets that used a balloon to travel up an incline rope and we designed 3D trains using an online software. I was hooked and continued to take engineering classes each year of high school.

In junior we met again in Civil Engineering. I was surprised when I walked into class and Mr.Whelan remembered me. I loved that class and decided that I am going to go to college and major in Civil Engineering. Mr.Whelan wrote me a great reference for the colleges I applied to, he also wrote reference for scholarships he recommended to me. Before senior year I wanted to get some experience in an engineering environment. Mr. Whelan recommended the perfect job to me, he even sent a note to Quad recommending me for the job.  Everything Mr. Whelan did for me was because he wanted to help me, and I would be in the great position I am in without him. 

Out of all the teachers I’ve had, Mr. Whelan is one of the few that I felt cared about his students' future. If the students were willing to put in some effort, he was willing to help them along the way. One of the projects I did in Civil Engineering was designing a house for Habitat For Humanity. It felt good to be working on a project that is similar to what Civil Engineers would do. Mr. Whelan put time into making the class projects, so they were fun and educational. Thank you Mr. Whelan for all you taught me and all the help you gave me to better my future.