Purol seeks electrical engineer career

By Mallory Stiles
Associate Editor

Electrical engineering is a big umbrella; there are a lot of things involved that aren’t necessarily expected. Electrical engineers work on the wiring in buildings, but they also work on radar and navigation systems, robots, cars and even cell phones.

For LCC student Joseph Purol, 18, it is a dream job that he always felt a pull toward.

“I was in a robotics program in high school,” Purol said. “I just really enjoyed putting stuff together, using my hands, working with robotics and the mechanical aspect of it.

“I also really liked working with circuits and putting them together in robotics … I thought, ‘I could get paid to do this.’”

This is Purol’s second semester at LCC. He is earning a total of 14 credits by taking two Chemistry Courses, Pre-Calc, and Geography.

“It’s just a lot of work,” He said.

Purol said he appreciates a lot about LCC, but especially the aesthetic.

“LCC is very cool, I like it,” he said.  “Very nice campus. … It surprises me, from a cost standpoint, how (LCC is) able to keep such a nice campus while charging students so little.”

He said out of all his classes so far, he really enjoyed an art class he took last semester, for a very special reason.

“I did enjoy my Renaissance Art class because my dad and I went to Italy over Christmas,” he said. “We toured all the art museums and stuff. We went to Rome, Venice, Paris and Florence, so I got to learn about the art and then go and see it. It worked out perfectly.”

While he enjoyed his trip to Europe, he said he has been to many, many places and remembers them all fondly, except for Las Vegas. He said for him, he said there simply was nothing to do in Vegas.

“I’m not a big drinker,” he said. “Dad was a drinker. Not anymore, though. He quit roughly 13 or 14 years ago. He has done a great job; I respect him for that.”

He said he isn’t saying no to alcohol just for himself or because of his dad’s experience, but to also protect the ones he cares about most.

“I don’t know what kind of person I’m going to be to people I like or love, to the people I want around, if I am doing that,” he said.

In his spare time, he plans to continue on to Kettering University for his bachelor’s degree, snag an internship and start his career as soon as possible, while still exploring as much as he can.

Purol has three brothers, two cats and one bird. He said his relationship with Gandalf, the bird, presents the biggest challenge, mostly because Gandalf was adopted.

“He hates me,” Purol said. “I can’t even pet him because he just tries to bite me, every time. … Pro tip, if you ever get a bird as a pet, get a baby bird.”

Purol’s favorite movie is “Cars,” his favorite color is white and on a hot day he will enjoy cookie dough or Reese’s Pieces ice cream only.

He is an Eagle Scout, son, brother, pet owner, student, cave spelunker (Google it), avid traveler and student. He is also an incredible friend, according to Mohammed Hassan, who is in his math class.

“We just help each other out,” Hassan said. “Sometimes I ask him questions, sometimes he asks me questions. To me, what makes him stand out is how respectful he is.”

Purol continues to learn, laugh and live each day for the fun of it, because he said he has a theory that being happy is about letting it come to you.

“Don’t live your life looking for your passion,” he said. “Live your life and your passion will find you.”