Fulbright recipient studies engineering and global innovation in Finland

When Liberty University alumnus Samuel “Lake” Heath (’25) applied for a Fulbright scholarship, he had multiple options around the globe where he could pursue his engineering studies and conduct research. He ultimately decided on Finland because of its­ cultural connection to a personal passion: food redistribution.

“I grew up as a missionary kid down in Peru … we were in a rural village and there was a lot of poverty, but what really hit me was that people wouldn’t throw away food,” Heath said. “I had a lot of moments where I just felt convicted.”

Finland is one of the top-performing countries in overall food sustainability, according to the Food Sustainability Index (FSI), a resource developed by Economist Impact with the support of the Fondazione Barilla (Barilla Foundation) that studies global food systems. Heath saw the opportunity to observe those practices in daily life, adding an extra layer of depth to his Fulbright experience.

“In Finland, the idea of food redistribution or food waste is not just an isolated topic,” Heath said. “It’s kind of a way of life for them … the culture has just developed so that they are very efficient with the resources they have.”

Heath was named a finalist for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program shortly before graduating with his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. The prestigious program, sponsored by the U.S. government, is one of the most competitive academic exchange programs in the world.

For the past year, Heath pursued a master’s degree in industrial engineering and management at LUT University in Lappeenranta, Finland. Part of his degree program centers on global innovation — finding new solutions to real-world problems and adapting them across different cultures. As Heath considered the problems of food waste and redistribution, he started looking at how practices from Finland could potentially be applied back home in the U.S.

One practice Heath observed was in his school’s cafeteria, which sold leftover food to students at the end of the day for a much cheaper price. He said similar programs can be found at other schools and grocery markets around the country, incentivizing people to help cut down on food waste.

“Little things like that were all over the place, where you could see how they thought through what’s going to happen if they make too much food,” Heath said. “They have spent the time to plan and think through how to minimize the waste and maximize the amount of people that the food is going to.”

Heath had already advocated for food waste awareness as a Liberty student. At the end of his sophomore year, he founded the Manna Club in partnership with Sodexo, Liberty’s dining services provider, to collect leftovers from dining locations on campus to donate to local missions and food banks.

“I think it was mainly out of a desire to be faithful with the resources that the Lord had given me and maybe help others to see (the need),” Heath said about founding the club. “The idea was we’re going to try to meet a physical need, but at the same time, we hope that that opens up their heart to receiving something that can help them spiritually as well.”

Heath always knew he wanted to further his studies abroad after graduation, but he wasn’t sure how until he attended a Fulbright seminar at the end of the spring semester.

“It sounded like a great opportunity, but it was also kind of intimidating,” Heath said. “I was thinking ‘OK, I guess I’ll give it a try.’”

In Finland, Heath formed relationships and learned about different cultures from his international classmates.

“I would sit down to lunch with my classmates and they would be super open. I would just talk with them about my faith and ask them questions about what they believed,” Heath said. “It was a daily thing of just getting to interact with people and try to share the Gospel, and also a lot of learning for me.”

Through Fulbright, Heath traveled to other Finnish cities, heard from guest speakers, and had the opportunity to share about his American culture and experiences.

“They did a really good job of taking care of all the grantees and making sure that if we needed anything or had any questions, they were there,” Heath said. “There were a lot of really good things with the Fulbright community there.”

Heath is now back in the U.S. completing his thesis while working with a Christian U.S.-based engineering company to develop an innovation framework for their technology-development teams. Reflecting on his year abroad, he said the longest-lasting impact will be on his faith.

“All the Fulbright (experience) was amazing. I loved getting to study, I loved the professional side of it, the social side of it, all of these different things — it was a huge blessing in so many different ways,” he said. “But what impacted me the most was being able to have those times where I could really lean on the Lord and witness to people and try to just be a faithful Champion for Christ in that sphere that God put me in.”

For more information on the Fulbright Program at Liberty, contact Professor of Government Edna Udobong, Fulbright Program advisor and scholar liaison, at eudobong3@liberty.edu.