Darwin King ‘17 knew he wasn’t going to college immediately after graduating from Kearsley High School in 2000. He was looking for a challenge and a way to serve his country.

Instead, he opted to serve in the United States Navy and then provided contract support for the Army and Navy.

“I thought it would be something good to do,” King said. “I enjoyed it. I learned a lot and it paved the way for furthering my education.”

As a member of the Navy, King was stationed in Virginia Beach and was deployed in Kuwait and Iraq. He also spent time with the Army as a contractor in Iraq. During his service, King was able to develop teamwork and leadership skills and became acclimated to working with individuals across nationalities and cultures.

“I finished my active duty obligation and decided to transfer to the reserves,” King said. “I knew that I wanted to go back to school and I wanted to go somewhere close to home.”

After returning from serving overseas, King attended Mott Community College to sure up his Math, Chemistry and Physics skills. He earned two associate's degree - in Science and Art - before transferring to Kettering in 2012.

“I already knew about Kettering’s reputation,” King said. “Having had previous work experience, I’ve always considered myself more a worker than a scholar. The opportunity to practice in the field that I wanted to work in while in school appealed to me.”

King is majoring in Mechanical Engineering and completing his co-op at Henniges Automotive in Auburn Hills, Michigan. He primarily works with polymers and rubber seals, which is a completely new experience for him.

“I decided to get outside my comfort zone and try something new. Seal design and manufacturing is a challenge, I enjoy it, and I’ve learned a lot.”

Initially, King was intimidated by the prospect of returning to school after being away from it for an extended period of time. However, now, alternating between working and studying is a balance that King hopes to continue even after graduating from Kettering.

“I want to go straight to work after graduating but I’ll probably continue to take night classes to work towards an MBA or Master’s in Engineering Management,” King said. “I want to stay active and keep my education rolling.”

King also remains active in the reserves. In addition to studying at Kettering, he is a Self-Assessment Mentorship Program (SAMP) team member for Navies of 18 different countries on the west coast of Africa.

 “Our African partners have a lot of challenges, things like piracy, human trafficking and illegal fishing compounded with lower budgets and limited resources. It’s an honor to be able to share methods that aid in effectively collecting data, planning operations and assessing results,” King said. “These are things that a Mechanical Engineering education at Kettering has complemented and served me well in. I go for at least two weeks per year, fortunately so far, it hasn’t interrupted my class schedule, and my co-op employer has been very supportive.”