True Colors

At first I was not expecting the Myers Briggs test to come up with any realistic results that actually matched up with me. I assumed it would just be extremely vague answers of who you are so you could take it however you want, but it actually came back fairly straightforward and accurate for me. You can tell that it matches up with the way I think, especially when considering my major. I am a fairly outgoing person and I tend to be very frank when making decisions. One of the main things the description of ENTJ says is that we "quickly see illogical and inefficient procedures and policies, develop and implement comprehensive systems to solve organizational problems" This is exactly the reason I decided that I would like to earn a living as an engineer and why I think the way that I do.

The true colors text was also oddly fitting. I didn't expect it to be very accurate, especially because there were only four possible outcomes. I was nowhere near a blue. Not even yellow. However, my main colors were green with 19 points and orange with 17 points. They're both fairly true to who I am. "For me, work is play". That's about as good as it could possibly be. I chose engineering because I want to do something where I can have fun, learn constantly, and be myself. Even while working at the RPAC, I tend to goof off (but still get my work done) and have fun with my co-workers and patrons using the facility. When we discussed the traits we all had in common in our break out sessions, we discovered we were all a bit crazy... but also that we think very logically about everything! I'm glad to know I'm not the only person that thinks that way, as my emotions rarely ever make any of my decisions at all. Taking both tests was a fun way to learn about ourselves and others.

1. Think about your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, special abilities or disabilities, age, socioeconomic status, religion, birth order and any other influences that come to mind.  How have these factors influenced your personality and learning preferences?

I have been rather fortunate to be honest. I am a middle class, white, tall (6' 2"ish), straight, male, with no real disabilities, in a region with many opportunities. If I had been born even just 50 years ago, my life would definitely be much better than my peers, for these reasons specifically. I was fortunate to have an older brother and an older sister which allowed me to watch how they succeed and learn from their mistakes so I hopefully wouldn't repeat them (even though I typically have).



I prefer to learn from hands on experiences, and that is always the way it has been for me. I learned how the engine of a car operates - not by taking a class or by reading about it. However, I learned all of this by repairing problems in my car and in my friends cars. You could have told me how it works, and I would have retained some of the information, but until I actually worked on it, I wouldn't have a full understanding like I do now. This opportunity would have most likely not been available if I were from a poor family, as I would not have been able to afford the parts. I also probably wouldn't have had this opportunity if I were from a very wealthy family. This is only because if I were able to pay somebody else to do it all, I probably would have just done that instead. Or I would have bought a car that had no problems. This is just one example, but by being in a middle class family, I have actually had more opportunities to learn from real world experiences than probably most of my peers have.


Being raised the way I have has also made me a very outgoing person. I have nobody that I am truly afraid of so I don't have issues talking to people I don't know. I have very little shame, so when others judge me, it really doesn't bother me. I was fortunate enough to have my brother and sister show me that it really doesn't make any difference in your life what another person thinks about you, as long as you have good intentions inside.

2. Write your own personal mission statement. What is your purpose in life? What values are important to you? What do you want to be? What attributes and capabilities are important to you?

My purpose in life is to help others and to learn. Often time, those two go hand in hand. Friendship is probably my greatest value, but like anybody else, I can probably spit off a list of a thousand values that I believe in. I want to be happy. I believe that pursuing my degree of Aerospace Engineering will help me be happy, not because of the income, but because I love learning every day and problem solving. I would like to work on jet engines for a living, and I want to be a good friend to others. The biggest attribute and capability to me is a willingness to learn and curiosity. I probably wouldn't have broken as many things as I have if I weren't curious. But I also wouldn't know as much about them or be able to fix them.

There are many different people out there that I consider to be phenomenal leaders. I don't know that there is one individual I can put above the others, but on person that has been a big influence on me and leads in the way that I would like to some day is a man by the name of Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Bransen.You may not know who Richard Bransen is, but you have certainly seen his work all over the place. He is the founder of Virgin Group with more than 400 companies.
He has his hands in everything. This is why I believe Bransen is such a phenomenal leader. Whenever he sees a process being done or a company being run and he thinks it could be done better, he starts up a company that undoubtedly rises to the very top every time.
"My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them ... from the perspective of wanting to live life to the full, I felt that I had to attempt it."
This shows a man with a lot ambition and he follows through every time. He started up Virgin Records, Virgin Atlantic Airways, and many other highly successful companies. I hope that some day I will achieve success in ways he has and always stay ambitious and hungry for more.

Hi! My name is Blake Reinke. I am a third year at The Ohio State University studying Aerospace Engineering. I have been very involved on campus since I arrived because, frankly, this is my favorite place in the world. In my time so far, I have been a part of Undergraduate Student Government, USG Interns, University Hosts, The Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta, Romophos: A Sophomore Class Honorary, Green Engineering Scholars, Barbecue Club - Grill Team, and several other awesome student organizations. I spend a lot of my time working at our incredible recreational facility known as the RPAC.
I like to build and fix things regularly. I have done car repairs including repairing/replacing the starter, alternator, brake lines, brake pads, air-idle control valve, mass-airflow sensor, alternator, starter, blown head gasket, cracked cylinder head, valve cover gaskets, and a good few other jobs. I actually enjoy doing these things, so if you're having car troubles, let me know! I just built a cabinet to house my stereo and am building my girlfriend a new bed frame for our anniversary coming up. Why do I do these things when somebody else could easily do them? I like knowing how/why things work, and I really hate paying somebody else to do a job that I can easily take care of.
I am always looking to meet new people and create lasting friendships so feel free to chat me up about anything! I love sports, but I haven't played anything that involves cutting since before coming to college due to the fact that I have torn my ACL and had surgery three different times now (not worth it). I love running, so if you ever need a running partner, I will almost never say no. One of my other favorite hobbies is playing music. I was raised playing the piano and cello when I was younger, through high school. On my own, I decided to teach myself to play bass guitar, guitar, and drums and have played in several bands before. One of my bands even got second place in a Toledo Battle of the Bands out of 48 different bands. I am really looking forward to this class and to getting to know all of you very well while developing our personal leadership qualities!