Paul LoRegio, BEng ’94 (Engineering Physics)

Who hasn’t occasionally considered leaving behind everything familiar and starting a new life in a foreign land?

Unlike most of us, however, Paul LoRegio actually acted on that impulse.

In 2013, when he decided a change was in order, LoRegio left what was a staid but reasonably satisfying job as a senior optical engineer in Ontario and took the gamble on relocating to Spain.

“I saw the opportunity and thought, this is the change I need,” says LoRegio, a 1994 Engineering Physics grad. “It was a little difficult at first to adapt to a new country, new culture and new language, but I’m glad I made the move.  I met my wife in Spain and now have a good life in Germany.”

Currently working as an optical subsystem architect and subcontract manager for Airbus Defence and Space in Germany, LoRegio has built a career around the custom engineering of precision optics. He credits his degree for providing the solid fundamentals that allowed him to readily and successfully adapt to new technologies.

But while the engineering dialect translates well across continents, LoRegio urges young people to learn new languages.

“In the global economy, regardless of the profession, communication is key and having another language is a valuable commodity,” he says. “It is possible to ‘get by’ with English, but knowing German or Spanish or French helps immensely. 

“On the personal level, learning a language is the key to understanding and experiencing a new culture because the two are so intertwined. And it is easier to learn a language in your 20’s than in your 40’s.”