When he was in second grade, Ryan Harper knew he wanted to be an engineer.

He wanted to pursue mechanical engineering, like his grandfather and uncle, and work on motor vehicles. Ryan, a native of Dalton, Georgia, set his sights on Georgia Tech, but he didn’t begin his collegiate career in Atlanta.

“I started out at Dalton State College and transferred here,” said Harper. “It was local, so I didn’t have to move away and I could save a decent amount of money. I’m graduating debt-free."

Growing up, Harper developed an interest in cars and racing. He went to NASCAR events with his father, watched the races on television, and sketched out vehicle designs in his room. When he arrived on Tech’s campus, Ryan got involved with GT Motorsports.

The connections he made through GT Motorsports led to an internship with Pratt and Miller Engineering.

“I was actually working on military vehicles for their live fire training,” said Harper. “Their main thing is Corvette Racing, so I talked to the right people there and looked at transitioning over to the race team.”

After a second internship with Corvette Racing, Ryan earned a job offer in the data analysis department. His primary responsibilities will include identifying areas to increase vehicle performance. Eventually, Harper wants to move up to designing the actual race cars.

“I’m excited about the fast-paced, competitive environment,” said Harper. “When you’re working on something in racing, it’s pretty obvious whether what you did was the right choice or not.”

Even at the beginning of his professional life and a burgeoning career in racing, Harper still connects to the sport as a fan.

“Being at a race, especially with the Corvettes, when you get the V-8 going by and you just feel it in your chest, it’s just really exciting and something you can’t necessarily get anywhere else,” said Harper.

“It gets your blood pumping.”