Growing up, Justin Schoopachevich was a high achiever who excelled in school. He worked hard in his classes and consistently earned high marks. Unfortunately, he also grew up in the midst of the opiate epidemic, eventually falling victim to the lure of heroin. 

His addiction led him down a dark path, one in which he lost many friends -- either due to their choice to no longer speak to him or their untimely passing as a result of their own addictions. His “rock bottom” came in the form of getting tired of repeatedly hurting and disappointing his family and crashing his car -- twice. 

“If it was not for the family and friends I have, I would not be here today,” Schoopachevich reflected. “I went to many rehabs throughout my teenage years with little success. I even tried going to Rowan College at Burlington County at one point to get a chemistry degree but dropped out halfway through the semester. Thankfully, I was able to get sober around 20 years old and decided to make a change for the better.”

Schoopachevich worked hard to achieve his sobriety -- including completing two stints at Sober Living in California. It was there that he met new friends and began working for a Domino’s Pizza franchise. He stayed for around three years, even getting an apartment, before moving back to New Jersey and quickly working his way up to a general manager position at another Domino’s Pizza. However, in the back of his mind, he knew he didn’t want to make pizza for the rest of his life. He re-enrolled at RCBC to pursue an electronic engineering technology degree with the ultimate goal of working for Lockheed Martin. 

“I worked with a girl who talked about going back to college to become a dental hygienist, and it just triggered something for me,” Schoopachevich recalled. “I thought ‘I want to go back to college.’ Although I initially planned to study chemistry, I realized I’m drawn to electronics, and I like tinkering with computers, so I decided to pursue electronic engineering technology. I re-enrolled at RCBC in 2019.”

Schoopachevich took off from there, earning Dean’s List and excelling in his classes. He engaged in many hands-on projects, including the watering plant project, in which he built a device that uses sensors to gauge air temperature, soil moisture and determines the optimal times to water plants. 

“It knows when the sun is coming up or down, can detect the temperature and includes a 24-hour timer to ensure the plants have enough water at all times,” Schoopachevich said. 

He also met a professor who changed his life.  

 “It was here that I met Professor Dave Wilson, who has guided me along this incredible path,” Schoopachevich said. “He saw my dedication and strong work ethic and sent all the different job opportunities my way. It wasn't until the second or third job offer that I was able to get an actual interview, which happened to be an intern position at none other than Lockheed Martin! I had my interview, and it went wonderfully. I am proud to say on June 28, I started at Lockheed as an intern, and on September 7, I became a full-time engineering technician for the company. I always believe everything happens for a reason, and it is the people you meet in life that also create your destiny. I am forever grateful for Professor Wilson’s goodwill and selfless determination to help a student achieve his dreams of success.”

To learn more about RCBC’s engineering programs, visit rcbc.edu/academics/engineering-technology.