Kealen Heinz

Kealen Heinz pursued software engineering due to his love for working with computers and how technology brings people together. He hopes to create programs that build communities and are helpful to others. 

Heinz knew he was on the right academic track because when he would complete a task, he would be excited to start the next one and felt confident in his skills. Because his studies were focused on practical uses, not just the abstract, he could sink his hands into the material. 

“To me, engineering is fun because of the need to think, process a problem, design a solution and then see if the solution works.” Heinz says. “The elation that it works and knowingI did a job well keep me going.”

During his undergraduate studies in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, Heinz was highly involved in the classroom as a student instructor and undergraduate teaching assistant in software engineering courses. He attributes his interest in engineering education to the Fulton Schools faculty and staff who offered guidance on the industry, theory and academics surrounding the profession of software engineering.

“My teachers gave me insight into the processes that go into planning software projects and working on teams,” Heinz says. “The way they laid out the information and clearly explained it made it very clear as to why it is being taught to us and why it is important.”

When reflecting on his education, he recalled being especially proud of finishing the most challenging classes in the software engineering curriculum. 

Heinz received a Sun Award for exemplary service and supporting student success as a student instructor. Heinz’s educators gave him an appreciation of the field and instilled an interest in potentially becoming an educator in the future.

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ Spring 2023 class here.