Engineering student works with explosives in Department of Energy internship

Nineteen-year-old Nathanael Breed didn’t expect to play with C-4 explosives as a college sophomore, or work for a top government agency. But by the grace of God, and a network connection through Liberty University’s School of Engineering, Breed landed an internship that most students only dream about.  

This past summer, Breed performed high-explosive diagnostics and data collection for the Department of Energy (DOE). Stationed at the Los Alamos’ National Security site in Nevada, Breed completed a variety of tasks including loading C-4 and other high explosives, calibrating the blast radius of those explosions, and developed a system for acoustic diagnostics. 

“This internship is a blessing for sure,” Breed said. “It’s definitely not something that I earned. God just sort of blessed me with it.” 

Landing an internship with a government agency is incredibly competitive, but Breed’s 4.0 GPA and his National Merit Finalist status proved to be enough. His paid internship even acquired him a government security clearance. 

Breed said that Dean of the School of Engineering Dr. Mark Horstemeyer, was a key factor in helping nail the internship. He also mentioned that Liberty’s engineering school has been an incredible training ground for students like him to discover their affinity for the STEM world.  

“Dr. Horstemeyer has been such a blessing, challenging every single one of the students to have an internship every single summer. I’m incredibly grateful for his impact during this process,” Breed said.  

While Breed remains a residential student, he will continue his job during summer and winter breaks, per the DOE’s request. This winter, he is expected to work on his first classified assignment. 

 Breed said people in his line of work must apply adequate teamwork skills, a tedious aptitude that Liberty’s engineering department stresses every day.   

“Knowing how to work with other people and communicate is essential in every line of work,” he said. “And I think Liberty specifically does a good job at creating engineers who know how to work in teams, because there are so many group projects. … There’s no better way to be a good teammate than to be a Christian and to walk in love. Liberty teaches those principles. Liberty students are prepared in a unique way to be good teammates on professional staffs.”

Breed views the workplace as a mission field and an opportunity to reflect Christ’s love in his sphere of influence. 

“As Christians, it is our responsibility to go into every area, not only in the church or at Christian institutions like Liberty,” he said. “And through that, as we permeate all these spaces, we can then be light in those dark realms. If Christians were just to stay huddled up in church buildings, who’s going to share the Gospel with these people in other sectors? We are living in this world, and while we’re here, we’ve been commanded to go into all the world, and that includes the world of engineering.” 

“Those relationships that we can have in the workspace have so much impact,” he added. “So many people, especially in my generation, mistake microphones and stages for impact. When in reality, the truest form of impact is in those one-on-one relationships. And being in the workplace is such an amazing opportunity for that.”  

Breed’s hobbies involve snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, spike ball, and reading Christian literature. He also helped launch Liberty’s Creationeer Café, a group that helps students discover engineering and business solutions to their marketable ideas. Breed is one of the leading members.  

The School of Engineering offers multiple residential undergraduate degrees, including Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial & Systems Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Online degrees include Civil, and Industrial Engineering Technology. 

“I did not expect to have a clearance like this before 20,” Breed said. “I was just coming to school, figured I’d study engineering because it’s a very diverse field, and God had some fun things in store. I definitely did not expect to be in this position at all.”