I took a year away from Purdue University to take some audio courses at the University of Southern California, an experience that profoundly shaped my understanding of music production and audio engineering. During my time at USC, I gained hands-on experience with the complete production workflow, from recording and signal flow to editing, mixing, and post-production. The experience sparked a lasting passion for audio engineering, refining my approach to mixing and remastering while teaching me to listen critically to every element of a recording. It fundamentally changed the way I evaluate sound, balance, and sonic detail, and those principles continue to guide every project I work on.