Hyk Spyk's Biography

I've lived in a couple different places:
     It all started back in Friedburg, Germany.  I was born to two great first time parents.  Soon after I was born, my dad went to Vietnam and my mom and I went to live with my German grandmother and uncle in Norderney, Germany.  Thankfully my dad returned and he got out of the Army, so we moved to Dunbar, West Virginia with my American grandfather (picture 1).  My dad found it hard to find work in West Virginia and thought it best to get back in the Army.  We were stationed in Baumholder, Germany when my brother was born.  We are almost five years apart, yet now that we are older it doesn't seem as large of an age difference as when we were younger.  Our three years in Baumholder was up and we packed up and moved to Milledgeville, Georgia.  I learned how to ride a bike in Georgia, I started playing soccer and started my schooling there also.  Three years past and we were on the move again, this time to Wuerzburg, Germany.  We liked it there so much we stayed five years.  I really got into sports in Wuerzburg.  I played basketball, soccer, and baseball.   Of all the places that we lived, I think I liked Wuerzburg the best.  I have a lot of great memories there.  Well, of course we couldn't stay there forever and moved to Fort Lee, Virginia.  I continued sports in Fort Lee, until I was playing soccer one day and really messed up my hamstring.  I haven't played soccer since that injury back in eighth grade.  I thought that we would stay in Fort Lee, since my dad on one year left in the Army before he retired.  That wasn't the case and we were shipped off to Zweibruecken (translated "two bridges"), Germany to finish out my high school years and my dad's Army years.   A year before my dad retired I moved to Munich, Germany and moved back to Prince George, Virginia when he retired.  I have been in the Hampton Roads area since 1991 and now live in Virginia Beach.

Schooling:
    Georgia is where I started Kindergarten and first and second grade.  Wuerzburg was where I went to third through seventh grade.  Prince George schools took me through tenth grade and Zweibruecken is where I graduated high school.  I started my first year of college at the University of Maryland in Munich Germany.  That city is great, I really didn't want to leave.  I was old enough to go everywhere myself and really enjoy the city.  It's also a great place to take pictures.  I didn't stay, because U. of Md. was only a two year school and my family was moving back to the states.  I thought that I wanted to be a graphic artist, since I had always liked drawing.  I applied to Virginia Commonwealth University, but was not accepted as an art student.  I changed gears a little and went to John Tyler Community College and thought learning drafting would be something that I would like.  I liked it and graduated with an Associates Degree in Architectural Engineering Technology.  I thought that drafting would be fun, but I also thought that it wasn't exactly something I could do for the rest of my life.  I had also had aspirations of being an inventor, but what degree would you get to be an inventor?  I thought the closest thing would be Engineering, so I went to Old Dominion University and got my Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering in December of 1994.

Working:
    I only started working when I was in eleventh grade.  I worked for the government as a summer hire, for almost no money.  I was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.  I stocked groceries for a few months at the base commissary.  Working in the freezer wasn't fun, but it was a couple of bucks.  I got a camera for my high school graduation (thanks mom and dad) and thought I could work at a camera shop.  I worked in Ritz Camera for most of the time I went to John Tyler Community College.  I did pretty well at selling cameras.  I learned quite a bit and still really enjoy taking pictures.  While still in college I started working for ECS Ltd. as a geotech (tested dirt).  After graduating, I worked there full-time and got out of the lab enough to be a geotechnical engineer.  I liked portions of the job, but I found that it wasn't enough design work.  I took a job at MMM Design Group and worked there I worked for almost 5 years.  I decided to change jobs again this year at the end of January and now I work for Burgess & Niple, Inc. I am working on different projects doing drainage and road design, with a bright future of projects ahead of me.

Fun and other stuff I like to do:
     Can you guess what sport I play?  Here in Virginia Beach it's played year around.  Do you give up?  Okay, I'll give you a hint.....It's volleyball.  You would think as much as I play volleyball, that I'd actually get better.  Maybe someday.  I play indoor volleyball at Tidewater Volleyball Association.  I play outdoor volleyball anywhere, but mainly at the Oceanfront in Virginia Beach. When you play outdoors you always should know what the weather is going to be.

  For graduation from high school my parents bought me my first real camera (Minolta X-700).  I really have and still enjoy it.  It takes good quality photos and is really durable.  Most of the photos I took and are included in this website, were taken with my X-700.  I have just started taking pictures of people.  I normally took pictures of building and other stationary items.  I really enjoy music and have amassed a decent collection of CD’s.  I have bought a bass guitar and keyboard and plan on learning both before I die, but I can't play either yet.  I listening to different kinds of music depending on my mood. Visit my music page for some of the music that I like to listen too.  I like going to see them perform also; I've been to many concerts here in Hampton Roads at the Boathouse and other venues, such as the fairly new Norva. I have also or will be putting my review of the concerts that I go to on my music page.  It's interesting to hear the music and then see them perform it, live.  Don't forget to use hearing protection!  Don't you want to be able to hear music when you get older?
 

Recent events:

On Friday, April 20^th 2001, I take my Professional Engineering test. It’s an 8 hour test, that gives the engineer that passes the test, the privilege to represent the engineering profession. It also allows us to sign sets of plan drawings. Results normally take 3 months.

A Couple of Pictures:
 

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Last worked on 5/16/01.