Wesley Rankin 2013
“An excellent self-starter with a strong work ethic. Quick to grasp new concepts and apply these concepts to solving problems.” These phrases were used to describe Wesley Rankin by his high school physics teacher, who went on to predict that Wesley would be successful in pursuing a college degree in science or engineering. His teacher was correct. A 2002 graduate of T.C. Williams, and recipient of the Stephen J. Kenealy Scholarship, Wesley went on to earn a degree in Computer Engineering from Eastern Nazarene College.
Wesley moved to Alexandria from Colorado just before he entered 2nd grade. While at T.C., he was involved in the Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble and Symphonic Orchestra. A member of the National Honor Society, Wesley spent much of his free time volunteering with the American Red Cross. While in college, he gained experience handling water craft by working for the Potomac Riverboat Company during his summer breaks
Today, Wesley works for Bluefin Robotics in Quincy, MA. Bluefin manufactures Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (unmanned robotic submarines) in sizes ranging from 135-2,000 pounds. In his first job, as a Marine Operations Engineer, he trained customers, repaired equipment and conducted seafloor surveys. After 5 years, he was promoted to System Engineer and now works on high-level system designs, develops system specifications and oversees system integration and testing. Wesley has worked on over 15 Oceanographic Research vessels throughout Europe, Mexico, and the US. His experience working for the Potomac Riverboat Company paid off!
Wesley is the second member of his family to receive an award from the Scholarship Fund. His older brother, Andrew (T.C. Class of 2000), received a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology at Boston University and is currently working on cancer stem cell research in Boston.
T.C. Williams Class of 2002
B.S., Computer Engineering, Eastern Nazarene College, 2006
