When he first visited the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) during a high school summer program, he never imagined a career at a defense company just down the road, but a decade later that’s exactly where we find Drew Girshovich.

The Rock Hill, SC native grew up with little awareness of Clemson University, much less CU-ICAR, yet it’s a place that would come to play a key role in his educational experience and launch his career. The summer before his sophomore year in high school Drew participated in a program that allowed him to tour the CU-ICAR campus, meet faculty and participate in hands on demonstrations. That visit left an indelible mark on him, sparking a dream that would shape his educational and professional future. “As a 15-year-old car enthusiast, it just blew my mind,” recalled Girshovich. “I told myself, ‘This is where I’m going to end up and I’m going to do everything I can to get to this place.’” And that’s exactly what happened. Drew graduated from Clemson University with a mechanical engineering degree and enrolled in the automotive engineering graduate program. He soon found himself on the CU-ICAR campus fulfilling the goal he’d set just years earlier, but it wasn’t quite what he was expecting.

“Clemson’s undergraduate engineering program was tough, so I expected the graduate work was going to be a huge challenge, and it was, but in an exciting and engaging way,” Drew explained. “It was less of a list of specific things you have to learn and more like ‘What are you passionate about?’ and then ‘Well let’s go learn and research how to do it.’” For Drew the answer to that question was design engineering. “To be able to design and create something that you can hold, and then give it to someone and say ‘I made this for you to make your life better’ is something I’ve always been passionate about.” Little did he know that his passion for design engineering and cars would lead him on a two-year journey that he would call one of the best experiences of his life.

During his time on the CU-ICAR campus, Drew participated in Deep Orange, an immersive 24-month concept development program that produces a prototype vehicle addressing real-world mobility challenges. “I learned so much from Deep Orange that you just can’t learn in a classroom,” said Drew. “It’s one thing to design something, but the process of actually making it for a customer is very different.” The experience not only shaped his technical expertise, but also his approach to collaborative work. “Deep Orange was crazy and hectic, but in such a good way. It taught me about not just being an engineer, but also being a team player, leadership, and how to interact with the customers and industry partners.” His time in the program and exposure with CU-ICAR partners would ultimate help Drew achieve his next goal, a design engineering role in the city he had come to love.

With graduation in sight, Drew and his wife, Olivia, began to evaluate the next phase of their lives. For the couple that loved spending time on Lake Hartwell, attending Clemson Football games, and exploring the Upstate of South Carolina, the idea of moving north for a design engineering job seemed less than ideal. “I had been told by professors, and I experienced it firsthand through Deep Orange—there’s just a different energy here than in the cities where many of the design engineering jobs are located,” Drew explained. “Being on the CU-ICAR campus in Greenville allowed us to fully experience the city. There’s always something going on with outdoor experiences, festivals and unique places to eat. It’s a place we fell in love with and didn’t want to leave.”

With an affinity for Greenville in mind, Drew was guided by Deep Orange faculty to explore Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA), a multi-national company delivering research, leading-edge products, and innovative solutions that address problems of national importance. Better yet, ARA was already an established partner of CU-ICAR and had an office just minutes from campus. “I never would have guessed I’d end up in the defense industry,” Drew admitted. “But my time at CU-ICAR opened my eyes to all the avenues I could go with my automotive engineering degree. The program provides such a broad skill set that is valuable in any workplace, and it enabled me to stay in Greenville —something that was important to me.”

Now an established design engineer with ARA, Drew is excited to once again develop new goals and ideas on the CU-ICAR campus as the two organizations continue to partner on research initiatives. “When I joined ARA, I was thrilled to learn about the existing collaboration with Clemson University. With all the resources and expertise at CU-ICAR and ARA, I know the partnership is going to be incredibly productive,” Drew said. “I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together in the future.”

As Clemson University and ARA continue their partnership, there’s no doubt that Drew’s story is just getting started—and the future holds even more exciting possibilities for this talented engineer and innovator.