Class of ’06… this ended up a little more long-winded, but it’s all relevant! Back in 2014 I toured the US as the Technical Director/Lighting Designer for the Peking Acrobats from China! We reached about 43 different cities in the US and 3 in Canada. As a young 20-something, I kept thinking to myself, ‘What would Mr. Neal do?!?’. It’s hard to describe the immense struggles that tour brought on (along with good lessons!)- but I got through them thanks to you and your lessons! Going onto today… Using what you taught me to light up the world (literally!) Just wrapped up a project in DC commissioning/programming the new Aesthetic Lighting package for the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. An immense amount of people made the slogan ‘many hands make light work’ so very very true on this project! Back home, I continue to commission/program lights on the skyscrapers in downtown Chicago! I’ve also had the unique opportunity to commission lighting control systems for theatre venues and high school/middle school/college theatrical lighting systems. Letting me get hands-on with the very companies that I work with today (especially the access to an ETC-branded lighting board/fixtures) has concreted me into my career today. I can’t thank you enough. And last but not least… going on about ~12 years of doing a synchronized light show for Christmas/Halloween back in Gurnee at my parents house with a food drive benefit to the Northern Illinois Food Bank also!