My name is Drew Robinson and I am a member of the 2011 Self Fellows. I grew up in Prairie Village, KS and attended Shawnee MissionEast High School. I am the third of four brothers and the only one that went into engineering. I have always been big into sports with 10 years of wrestling, 9 years of football and 4 years of rugby. During college I became interested in triathlons and now race in half-iron and Ironman distance races.
I work for Kansas City Power & Light as a Performance and Combustion Engineer. The power plant that I am stationed at is located 10 minutes west of Clinton, MO and is comprised of three 170 MW coal-burning units. My responsibilities include monitoring station heat rate, tracking efficiencies, investigating problems, maintaining good combustion and any other special projects that come up during the year.
The first topic I wanted to talk about with you is the importance of maintaining a balanced life. Working very hard at school or work is very important, but being able to separate from your work can have long term benefits. You will come to work each day refreshed if you were able to go home and work on your hobbies or do others things that can relax your mind. It can be hard to do because we all want to be dedicated to our work but too much can be detrimental. For instance, when I leave work in the evenings, I rarely check my email. I use my evenings to train for triathlons, hang out with my dog or study Spanish. Work goes to the back of my mind until I wake up in the morning. At this point, my brain is fresh and I am motivated to do my best work for the entire day. So when you are not in class or studying, take time to do something that you will enjoy and can help you relax. There are plenty of clubs on campus to get involved with and things to do around Lawrence. Use these years to take advantage of them!
Speaking of things to do around Lawrence, I highly recommend getting a group of friends together and camping out for a night on Clinton Lake. One of my most memorable nights in school involved 20 close friends, plenty of food and a great night next to the lake. It is a cheap way to go out for a night when compared to restaurants and bars in Lawrence. Most camping equipment can be rented from the Rec Center for a few dollars per night. But if camping does not sound enjoyable to you, I recommend embracing the live music scene around the city. Every weekend there are bands at the Granada, Jackpot, The Bottleneck and more. Be sure to catch a show or two!
And finally, if I were to offer up somewhere to eat in town, it would be Zen Zero on Mass Street. The Thai food there is delicious and I have never left there disappointed. Plus, it is a cheaper alternative at $7-$8 a plate. Plus, it’s just a short walk down the street to Sylas and Maddy’s for some ice cream. Flavor of choice: Queen of Hearts.
Hope you all have started studying for finals. You’ll do great!
Drew Robinson