

When I was young, our family moved from Waukegan, Illinois to the Iron Range in Northern MN. My parents worked hard but didn’t make a lot of money. Farm chores helped me learn the value of honest, hard work. I was my dad’s helper. My dad was a big man, but not a big talker; although, our best conversations happened while we were splitting wood under the evening yard light.
I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. When I was in school, I would often ask my parents which classes I should take. Their advice: “Take all the math and science classes you can.”...