Jackson “Jack” Modrak is an Electrical engineer, who is competing for the 2024 “Mister USA” while repping the state of Arizona.
He opened up about his daily inspirations, being a Electrical engineer in the digital age, and his future plans. He also offered advice for people who wish to pursue a career in the engineering field.
In addition, he shared his personal story of being born in Russia, adopted in America, and raised on a farm in Arizona, all while trying to pursue the American dream.
Daily motivations
On his daily motivations, he said, “Honestly, what has motivated me throughout life is being able to change things for the better whether it’s in my personal life or at work.”
“Having the opportunity to make some really cool gives me satisfaction and that’s what motivates me to do the things that I do. I like to do a lot of remodeling on my house, so being able to take a subpar space and then being able to make it really cool and unique is what drives me,” he elaborated.
Advice for young and aspiring Electrical engineers
For young and aspiring Electrical engineers, Modrak encouraged them to “Stay focused.” “Honestly, stay focused because it is easy to get sidetracked by life, especially when it comes to taking the board exams. Stay focused and stay on track because it is very rewarding in the end.”
“I studied Electrical Engineering at Arizona State University (ASU),” he said. “I thought I was going to go into digital electronics because I was super into technology, but I got an internship at the company I currently work for, which does civil engineering, and now I do infrastructure design, so that is big power design as opposed to small electronics.”
Jack Modrak as ‘Mister Arizona’
Mister USA is an American pageant, which is held annually, and the winner goes on to represent the United States in the “Mister Universe” competition. It celebrates culture, diversity, beauty, intelligence, and empowerment. It is not solely about outer beauty; it recognizes the inner beauty and intelligence of their contestants.
This competition will be held on August 11, 2024, in Hollywood. The winner of Mister USA will subsequently represent USA at “Mister Universe” on September 28, 2024, at The Biltmore in Los Angeles.
On competing as Mr. Arizona, he said, “It was really unexpected, to be honest. It was definitely an honor to be selected for that. I am very grateful for that, especially to be able to represent my state.”
Being able to represent the working people in a community building field
Regarding the message that he wants to get out of Mister USA, he said, “I represent people that are helping build a community, especially being an electrical engineer working on a lot of civil projects. I get to be on forefront of a lot of those developments, which I think it’s really cool and really satisfying as a career.”
“Being able to represent the working people in this field that are helping the community grow is a big passion of mine. I just want to be a good representation of Arizona,” he added.
Humble roots: Born in Russia, adopted, and raised in a farm in Arizona
He went on to share his humble beginnings. “The part of my life story that I want to delve into is my adoption at a young age from Russia, and my upbringing on a farm in northern Arizona,” he said.
“I am incredibly grateful every day for the opportunity to grow up in America; however, there is always a lingering thought of the life I could have had if I had remained in Russia,” he said
“This motivates me to seize every chance to live the American dream,” he admitted. “Throughout high school, I dedicated myself to studying diligently in order to secure full ride scholarships for my engineering career. I was determined to make the most of the opportunities available to me.”
Modrak continued, “This drive led me to purchase my own house and graduate before the age of 21. Now, I am focused on establishing my own design business while also working on projects that contribute to the growth of my community.”
“I genuinely feel that I have fully embraced the American dream and taken advantage of the opportunities it offers. It is a constant reminder of the possibilities that exist and fuels my desire to continue striving for success,” he added.
On his future plans, he said, “I actually recently got my Electrical Engineering license, so now I can start my own practice at the company that I work for, so I can do my own projects and the things that I am more passionate about. That’s my five-year plan.”
Career-defining moment
Regarding his career-defining moment, he said, “Getting this job in Electrical engineering, where I am currently working at, was a career-defining moment for me. That really shifted my focus on what was important to me when it came to a career,” he said.
“I noticed that by working at this company, I could have a much bigger impact on my community around me simply by doing infrastructure design. That shifted my whole dynamic and outlook on life and my career. It was a good defining moment right there,” he added.
The digital age: Being able to connect with engineers worldwide
On being a part of the digital age, he said, “I started my Instagram a while ago, but it recently started blowing up. So, I’ve been on the front end of getting more followers and having more of a social media presence.”
“Now, I’ve been trying to build my brand on social media. I made more contacts through Instagram, especially in this field of work that I do, so that has been pretty cool. I know people all across the country doing Engineering now,” he added.
Stage of his life
Regarding the title of the current chapter of his life, Modrak said, “Growing Rapidly.” “Also, growing nonetheless within that process, and not letting the fast-paced nature of my life get beyond me,” he explained.
Superpower of choice
His superpower of choice would be “to bend metal.” “I think that would be a pretty cool superpower,” he admitted. “I think that can be very useful in a lot of scenarios.”
Favorite motto to live by
On his favorite motto to live by, he said, “Cherish today because 20 years from now, you are going to look back and say this is the healthiest I ever was or the happiest I ever was, so cherish the moment that you are currently living in. That’s a strong motto that I try to live by.”
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Modrak said, “Success, to me, is defined by what makes you happy. If you are successful, then what you are doing is making you happy. Happiness would be a big definition for success.”
Message for his fans and supporters
For his fans, followers and supporters, Modrak said, “Stay motivated and stay passionate. Don’t give up on your daydreams because if you lose those, you lose everything.”
To learn more about Jack Modrak, follow him on Instagram.
