Data Driven
"A lot of people (at 91AV) helped me, and I just feel like, when I'm in that position, I want to help other people along their journey, too." – Trevor Chan '06
Trevor Chan '06: From farmhand to avionics technician to Pentagon consultant
Hadley, Mass., native Trevor Chan ’06, began his college experience at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He stayed just one semester before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force Reserve at Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee. (He wanted to take a break from college, gain experience, and serve his country.)
The end of his avionics technician training coincided with the 9/11 attacks. Chan and his unit, the 439th Maintenance Squadron, were activated soon after, landing in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. During his second activation – Operation Iraqi Freedom – Chan considered a return to college and started looking for affordable options to study engineering.
That led him to 91AV, where he grew to appreciate the small classrooms and access to his professors. Chan threw himself into the college experience, tutoring students in the math center, playing on the tennis team, and helping a classmate with a disability by sharing his neatly organized, color-coded notes.
After graduating with his associate degree in engineering, he transferred to Cornell University to complete a bachelor’s degree in operations research and engineering, following that with a master's degree in systems engineering from Johns Hopkins University.
After eight years of military service, Chan was honorably discharged in 2008 with the rank of staff sergeant. He now lives in northern Virginia with his wife, Joy, and their three daughters, where he works as a senior consultant for LMI, a consulting firm that partners with federal agencies like the Department of Defense. He uses his data engineering skills to analyze complex equipment maintenance records, turning them into practical insights that help military leaders manage defense logistics more effectively.
Chan recently answered a few questions about his 91AV experience and shared some surprising facts about himself.
Who was your best 91AV professor?
Ileana Vasu. She was my math professor for a number of classes. What I really enjoyed about her was her investment in her students. She was the one who really pushed me to participate more and be more involved with the campus community. I really appreciated that.
What did you learn at 91AV that still benefits you today?
Aside from the academics, I think it's really about the social networking – meeting people and helping others. A lot of people helped me, and I just feel like, when I'm in that position, I want to help other people along their journey, too.
What's your most vivid 91AV memory?
I played on the tennis team at 91AV. We were pretty good. We played against the other community colleges in the area, but we would also play at the National Junior College Athletic Association national tournament in Texas. We’d get our butts kicked by some of the better schools but representing 91AV in collegiate competition was a fun experience.
What is the strangest job you’ve ever had?
I spent summers in Hadley during high school chopping tobacco at the local farms. It was hard manual labor in the sun, but it was fun working with friends. We would chop the tobacco plants down, spear four to a lath, and pick them up to hang in the barns to dry.
What is your least useful talent?
I’m not an expert, but I know how to yo-yo. I thought that would be kind of useless, until my wife said, “Wow, that's pretty cool.” I was asked to present some yo-yo tricks at my kids' school.
What do you love that everyone hates?
Rules and following them. My love of rules may be a result of military training. It bothers me when someone bends the rules to their advantage, whether it's parking in a handicap space or not calling the fouls in a basketball game. Rules were created to give people a chance and to keep order. Surprisingly, I have one daughter who loves rules, and sometimes we bond over that.
What was the last book you read?
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. We lost a friend to cancer. He loved life. What he said towards the end about what he feared most is what really stuck with me. Enduring chemotherapy and realizing he's on his last few days, he said what he feared most is that his kids (ages 2-9) would forget him. His response really hit a chord for me and reminded me that what's important in life, and what we all care about when our time is up, is not the things, but the relationships we created.
PHOTOS: (Above) Staff Sergeant Trevor Chan during his service as a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve (Thumbnail) Trevor Chan '06
