THOSE WHO KNOW RICK SCHULZ MIGHT CONSIDER HIM AN OVERACHIEVER. Not only did the project engineer for Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL; Pullman, Washington, U.S.) serve in both the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, but he also worked his way up the ranks from wiring technician to facility operations manager at Carter & Crawley, a manufacturer of custom panels and integrated systems based in Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. Three short years after joining SEL, Schulz was chosen to join the company's facility in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, where he uses his real-life experience to lead the expansion of services, including drop-in control buildings and the development and introduction of SEL's PowerCORE-M protection, control and monitoring system

Despite his many professional achievements, Schulz did not always know what vocation he wanted to pursue. Raised near Buffalo, New York, U.S., he dreamed more about playing sports than about his future career. A devastating knee injury in high school permanently sidelined Schulz's chance of playing college football, however, and ultimately led him to enlist in the military at age 17.

“My father was a former drill sergeant in the Marine Corps, but I decided to join the Navy because I wanted to travel while serving my country,” he said.

Like many people who enlist in the military, Schulz found the experience life-altering.

“The military is a great decision maker, and I credit it with molding my entire future,” he noted. “I went to work as a missile technician, which meant that I received extensive electronics training. This really piqued my interest, so I decided to stay in the electrical field.”

Schulz followed his stint in the Navy with two years as a sergeant in the Marine Corps. Upon re-entering the private sector, he accepted a position as a maintenance technician for a printing company, and then joined Carter & Crawley, where he spent the next 22 years climbing the corporate ladder. He also continued his electronics education by taking various courses at Greenville Technical College.

In 2006, Schulz went to work in SEL's Charlotte, North Carolina, office, administering projects with the company's Mexico panel facility. Last January, he relocated to San Luis Potosi. According to Schulz, working in another country presents challenges as well as advantages. Not only does his job require him to spend long hours away from family and friends, but he also had to learn a new language and become accustomed to a different way of life.

“The Hispanic culture is much slower-paced than ours, but in a good way,” he explained. “The people really relish and anticipate being with their families. They realize their job function may not be the most important thing at that particular minute. The workers at SEL's San Luis Potosi facility are very skilled and take great pride in finishing the job right.”

Like his employees, Schulz strives to always do his best. Part of this includes plans to enroll in business classes to assist his expanding marketing and customer service roles at SEL. He also intends to pursue state and contractor licensing.

“I am a big advocate of formal education, and I sometimes regret not finishing my degree,” he said. “However, I personally have learned that on-the-job training offers a lot of advantages that you do not necessarily get in the classroom. Not only do you read and understand calculations and such, but you also get to work with your hands, putting things together and seeing what works and what does not. It is the difference between learning how to fly a plane and actually flying one. Hands-on learning puts you in tune with real-life situations.”

For those considering a career in engineering, Schulz recommends keeping in mind that it is a wide and diverse field with many opportunities in several disciplines.

“Find an avenue you enjoy and learn the most you can,” he advised. “Not just from books, but also from the many experienced people around you, especially those non-engineers who have the hands-on experience to relate real-life stories.”

Although his job requires approximately two weeks of travel each month, Schulz still finds time to golf and follow his favorite sports teams, which include the Buffalo Bills and Sabers, and the Clemson Tigers. He also enjoys spending time with his wife Karen, their three sons and new granddaughter McKenna Marie.

“McKenna is the pride and joy of our lives,” he said. “She's just an angel, and I look forward to spending lots of time with her.”

Schulz also looks forward to continuing his career at SEL.

“With SEL, I'm constantly learning new things and new applications that can assist our clients and customers,” he said. “My proudest moments have always been helping a customer through a problem and providing a solution that solves the pending issue. Receiving feedback that I can pass on to those who performed the actual work always brings a smile to my face.”