Building a future in community service

An undergraduate major in engineering physics opens a world of possibilities after graduation. William Blair ’23 plans to use his degree to help others by working with Rebuilding Together of the Triangle, a Raleigh-based nonprofit specializing in home repair and construction for vulnerable homeowners in the community.

“Working in construction may sound odd for an engineering major, but this is what I have wanted to do my whole life,” said Blair. “I’m a man of faith, so I’ve worked with home renovations for people in need since I was in high school, and I’m going to continue that in my career, living out my faith through service.”

Blair learned about Rebuilding Together through his aunt, a pastor in the Raleigh area, and decided to apply for a position with the organization doing carpentry.

“They invited me to come on a workday with them, and on that day they were replacing windows at someone’s house. I showed up, started working with the team, and they offered me the job.”

Although Blair knew he wanted to work in carpentry and construction from an early age, he also recognized how a degree in engineering physics could take his construction skills to the next level while allowing him flexibility in his career options.

“Engineering is closely related to construction,” he explained. “For the kind of hands-on work that I do, my studies have given me a much better understanding of how the forces of physics apply to the structural elements of a building. Even for something simple like installing new windows, that understanding lets me do solid construction that will last — and that’s what people want and deserve.”

In addition to his accomplishments in his academics and his enthusiasm for carpentry and construction, Blair has spent his four years at LR pursuing his other passion: music. In fact, he has found friends and classmates are less surprised by his post-college plans to bring his engineering physics degree to construction and more surprised that his degree is in engineering physics.

“I came to LR because I wanted to be part of the band, and I got a music scholarship. I play trombone, acoustic guitar and bass guitar,” he shared. “I play in the marching band, wind symphony, wind ensemble and pep band. Most people see someone who is in multiple ensembles, and they think ‘music major.’ As passionate as I am about music, I didn’t want to make it my career. I’ve learned I can be passionate about more than one thing.”

Blair plans to continue to play with musical ensembles and groups, both on trombone and guitar, in the future. “My mom is very musical, and both my dad and my grandfather played trombone. It’s a family tradition.”

He imagines he will continue to balance his new career and his love for music the same way he has over the last four years. “I’m still thinking about my long-term goals and direction, but if you have a plan and a system for the day-to-day, I’ve found you can accomplish a lot.”