What's the first thing you do when you bring home the latest gadget, or find an old cyclotron in the dumpster behind the physic's building? You take it apart of course!Growing up on a small farm in South Western Ontario, Canada there were not many things to do during the hottest days of summer or the coldest winters. That was until one day when my father showed me a screwdriver that lit up when it came close with an electrical voltage. Ever since I have been no stranger to tinkering, repairing, and the feeling of curiosity whenever I take something apart. It's this passion that drives me to this day to continue learning about all the interesting technology and designs that are all around us in our everyday lives.A few decades later and I am now working with amazing people designing cutting edge electronics that are innovating the in high-speed telecommunications industry. While the 56K modem from my childhood may have inspired me, the 200G PAM CDR's shaped me into the engineer I am today.