BRADY HORGAN ’23
Building Curiosity and Confidence in Engineering Brady Horgan’s path to engineering began at Cushing, but it was shaped as much by people as problem sets. In Cushing’s engineering courses, Brady discovered he loved the way math could translate into something tangible — designs, systems, structures you could see and build. But what made that curiosity stick was the teachers who helped him truly understand the material. In math classes with Mark Burke P’16,’18 and Richard Devin P’06, ’24,’27, complex concepts became clear. “I think the math department at Cushing is unbelievable,” Horgan says. “They made it simple. They made it super understandable, and they were there for every question you would ever have. It definitely shaped the way that I study, in terms of not giving up.” Senior year, Advanced Engineering sealed the deal. The class was collaborative and hands-on — everything Brady loved. One highlight was building an 18-hole mini golf course for students and faculty to play. The project included leadership, teamwork, and interaction — and it showed Brady that engineering was as much about working with people as it was about numbers. Just as important as the coursework at Cushing were the relationships. “When I think
about Cushing, I think about the connections you have with your dorm parent, your teacher, or your coach,” he says. The accessibility of faculty stands out. “They’re in your corner no matter what. They’re looking out for you.” He points to his advisor, Raja Bala, who helped him explore his interests, adjust direction, and think intentionally about what came next. Now an engineering student at Northeastern University, Brady continues to build on that foundation. Engineering coursework is rigorous, but he approaches it with the mindset he developed at Cushing: stay engaged, collaborate, and persist. This past year, Brady began his first six-month co-op with a major HVAC engineering company — a firm that has done work at both Cushing and Northeastern. In a full-time, professional setting, Brady thrived. His technical knowledge stood out, but so did his ability to communicate, lead, and connect with colleagues — traits he honed in part as a proctor and team member at Cushing. By the end of the co-op, he had earned a job offer for after graduation. What started as curiosity about how systems work has expanded into something broader — now Brady seeks not just to build systems, but to help guide the teams that design them.
SPRING 2026
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