By Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart
On paper, Tristan Huff is a typical college student. He carries a full course load, participates in student activities, and even fits in a part-time job. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that the Engineering Science A.S. student’s days at SUNY Broome are far from ordinary.
Huff’s full course load is packed with rigorous classes like Calculus III and Physics for Engineers and Scientists II. His campus engagement centers around 3D printing and design competitions. And that part-time job? It’s with the world’s leading global security, defense, and aerospace contractor, Lockheed Martin.
Huff had his pick of prestigious STEM programs across the state, but chose SUNY Broome after uncovering a secret shared between the thousands of Broome-educated engineers that have come before him: the strongest foundation to the theory of engineering begins in his backyard.
Born and raised in the Town of Union, Huff spent his boyhood Scouting and dabbling in Tiger athletics. When he wasn’t pursuing merit badges or volunteering in the community, he would quietly indulge his knack for numbers. Thanks to a middle school technology class, he learned that he could parlay his love of mathematical puzzles tangibly towards real-world problem-solving in engineering.
“We started off with simple 3D prints and basic circuit projects,” Huff reflected. “But that’s the perfect way to get 12-year-olds excited about all the cool things engineers can do.”
Fast-tracked into a STEM pathway, Huff took advantage of every tech-related opportunity the Union-Endicott Central School District had to offer. His school day was filled with a specialized Project Lead the Way STEM curriculum, AP classes, and concurrent enrollment courses through SUNY Broome’s Fast Forward program. But U-E’s STEM opportunities extended far beyond the classroom.
“My tech teacher shared a flyer advertising paid internships for high school students, so I applied,” Huff explained. “I started working for Lockheed Martin when I was 16. I got my driver’s license two weeks before my internship started just so that I could get myself to the Owego offices.”
While most of his teenage peers spent their summers traveling or hanging out with friends, Huff was clocking 40-hour workweeks building and testing cables for flight software. Though initially torn between electrical and mechanical engineering, his second summer at Lockheed solidified his passion for the power of control systems and circuits. Now, all that was left to do was officially earn his degree.
Huff applied to all of the major engineering schools in New York, but made sure to include his community’s college on his application list. SUNY Broome was affordable, close to his family and Lockheed, and was well-known in the STEM community for its legacy of preparing future engineers for every discipline in the field. A campus visit and meeting with Robert Lofthouse, Associate Professor/Chairperson of Engineering Science & Physics, sealed the deal for Huff to become a Hornet.
Huff balances his engineering science classes with a college internship at Lockheed Martin. Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers
Officially bound for Broome, Huff’s school counselor encouraged him to apply for the coveted Presidential Honors Scholarship. As an Eagle Scout in the top 10% of his graduating class, he was an ideal candidate for SUNY Broome’s highest honor, complete with a full-tuition scholarship.
“I had already decided to come to SUNY Broome months before I found out that I was selected as a Presidential Honors Scholar,” Huff explained. “The scholarship was just icing on the cake!”
Huff arrived on campus in fall 2025, and braced for the engineering science programs’ notoriously challenging curriculum. In just days, he and his classmates formed study groups to tackle their calculus, chemistry, and physics classes together. If his years at Lockheed taught him anything, it was that engineering is an inherently collaborative profession. So, he approached each assignment and exam, like he would a project for his employer – grounded in teamwork.
“I spend the majority of my time on campus studying, because my classes are very hard,” Huff admitted, “But there’s always someone to work through problems and projects with in the library or the AT Building. Professor Lofthouse often hangs out in AT just to jump in and answer questions. There are always people to help you when you need it.”
Though time was tight between Huff’s classes, labs, and Engineering Club meetings, he carved out just enough time in his schedule to fit in a weekly 10-hour shift at Lockheed toiling in CAD to design cables for software integration labs.
As Huff enters the pivotal second year of engineering science, he is genuinely excited to delve into the digital logic of microprocessors and knows that any math class will be a breeze after mastering calculus III. He plans to keep his part-time position, take on a more active role in the engineering club, and perhaps inspire the next wave of future engineers by continuing to volunteer for middle school programs like SPARK and Hornet Academy. And while he’s still considering his transfer options for Fall 2027, he knows one thing for certain – thanks to his foundation from SUNY Broome, he’ll be prepared to succeed as an engineer and beyond.
Learn more about Engineering Science at SUNY Broome!
Students can seamlessly apply for scholarships like the PHS Scholarship through one online application. Connect with the SUNY Broome Foundation for more info! Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers
Tags: Engineering Science AS, Presidential Honors, STEM Division, SUNY Broome Foundation
