Welcome to our Alumni Spotlight “Then and Now” Series!

In their own words…

One of my most impactful experiences at West Ottawa was building a small motorized “mini bike” in the metals shop with Mr. Cable during my senior year. After taking normal and advanced metals classes, I was able to pursue a unique Advanced Metals Independent Study. With the guidance of my teacher, Mr. Cable, I shaped, welded, lathed, and CNC cut raw metal pieces to create a mini bike frame, then used an old snowblower engine and bicycle parts to make it run. It was incredibly cool and unique to design and build a working motorcycle from scratch. I’m very grateful to West Ottawa and Mr. Cable for that experience, as it gave me the confidence to design and build from scratch, ultimately shaping my desire to become an engineer and start my own company where I could do just that every day.

After graduating from West Ottawa in 2015, I attended the University of Michigan, earning an undergraduate degree in Industrial and Operations Engineering, followed by a Master’s Degree in Design Science with a concentration in Product Design and Materials Engineering. My master’s thesis focused on the design and business plan for a high-performance, fully recyclable pickleball paddle. I leveraged this knowledge to launch Revolin Pickleball with my sister Greta and wife Sophie (who are also West Ottawa alumni). I currently run Revolin Pickleball as it’s CEO and our Headquarters are located at 355 Douglas Ave, Holland, MI. We now employ 8 people and have sold tens of thousands of high-tech, sustainable pickleball paddles to happy customers across the world. All of our paddles are made right here at our Holland HQ.