Austin Rinke, a graduating senior with a mechanical engineering degree who is originally from Fergus Falls, Minnesota, will give the student commencement speech during the fall commencement ceremony scheduled for Friday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. in the Sanford Health Athletic Complex
As graduating students move onto their next chapter in their lives, Austin Rinke wants his fellow graduates to cherish every moment and to stay present throughout it all.
“We now live in an age that information, gratification and communication is nearly instantaneous, yet mental health and burnout are at an all-time high. I believe those facts are correlated, and that people need to slow down,” said Rinke, who was selected as class representative to address the attendees of the fall commencement ceremony scheduled for Friday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. in the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.
“There is value in reflecting on the past, and value in planning for the future, but the only time that you have is right now. If we can pause and live in the present, our lives feel longer, fuller and we find more joy in the things we have,” Rinke said.
The main takeaway Rinke is hoping the audience will receive from his speech is to know how much value they each hold.
“The service of others and living in the moment will always be more valuable than any car, house, mutual fund or possession you can think of, and that who you are is more important than what you do,” he said.
Rinke has been very involved throughout his time at NDSU, holding leadership positions in Chi Alpha, a student ministry organization, and engineering ambassadors, an organization that does outreach both internally and externally for the College of Engineering.
Rinke also interned twice at Marvin Windows and Doors in Fargo as a mechanical design engineering intern and as a manufacturing engineering intern. Following graduation, Rinke will work full-time as a manufacturing engineer at Marvin and plans to stay in Fargo until his wife, Logan, finishes school in the spring.
Rinke, who is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, said he chose his major because of his fascination in physics and mathematics.
“In a less formal way, I took interest in the way things worked while growing up on my grandparents farm,” he said. “From the massive combines to the corn dryers, the large-scale equipment fascinated me. All farmers in a way are engineers, and the creativity blended with logic in problem solving piqued my interest.”
Reflecting on the past four years, Rinke is glad he chose NDSU because of the limitless opportunities he has been provided and the lifelong connections he has made.
“NDSU is an amazing choice because you will leave with so much more than an education. Students should choose NDSU because of the people, the location and the vast range of opportunities for student involvement,” he said. “Whether you want to build an aircraft in the AIAA model aircraft competition or learn swing dancing on a Thursday night, there is so much to do. The price is low too, and that is an important factor.”
Rinke is from Fergus Falls, Minnesota. He is the son of Marc and Sue Rinke.
