My name is Brendan Huss, and I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. I am completing the Combined Plan at Columbia University, having spent the first three years of my undergraduate career at Claremont McKenna College and finishing the final two at Columbia. While at CMC, I studied economics and the prerequisites for mechanical engineering, swam on the varsity swim team, and tried to soak up as much of the California sun as I could. Since my arrival to Columbia, I have worked hard to learn the skills required to succeed as a mechanical engineer. This hard work has been worth it as the time I have spent in the classroom, lab, and machine shop has not only been informative, but also very enjoyable. The combination of technical and analytical skills I have acquired will be tools I will continue to use for the rest of my life.