Ryan O’Meara // Student Story

Ryan O’Meara is a transplant from Boston, MA studying at Colorado College. He joins the Quad on our Augmented Reality Project with local company, Altia.

My name is Ryan O’Meara, and I am from Boston, Massachusetts. I attend Colorado College, and I am currently working on the Altia, Augmented Reality project. I have yet to declare a major, but right now I am trying to develop my own major that would be called “Tourism Studies”. It would combine anthropology and economics classes together. I am excited by working with numbers, doing research, and working with others. I am hoping that developing this major would satisfy all of those interests! Travel is one of my hobbies and interests. I am hoping that studying this would allow me to learn about new places, or at least think about them in a different way. I spent my last summer living and working in London and I spent a lot of time thinking about the tourist attractions that I passed. Why is the queen and her palace so interesting? What does an authentic abroad travel trip look like?

I have realized that I am someone that loves cities—I enjoy the nightlife, the proximity of everything, and the general pace of life. One thing that brought me out here from Boston was Colorado Springs. I knew that I wanted to be at a smaller school within a larger city. I perhaps misunderstood the size and accessibility of the Springs, but I have grown quite fond of it and am appreciating seeing it grow. I think that the Quad, and my project for the Quad, are examples of how the city is growing and developing. The Quad itself is an organization that is unique to Colorado Springs—it seems like such a bizarre initiative to entrust students with innovative consulting work! And yet, like many of the new and developing businesses that have popped up here in the last few years, it is young, smart, and delightfully attractive.

My group for the Altia project has been absolutely wonderful. The members for the group, as well as everyone we have met at Altia, have all been a joy to work with. It has been rewarding to work in on Quad project team, and with a client. Each individual seems excited by fresh and innovative ideas. At the meetings I look around and think that these are the people that are putting more energy and enthusiasm into Colorado Springs. I am drawn to Altia, the Quad, and consulting in general because I am interested in working for young and small startups when I graduate. Ideally, I am able to start something of my own perhaps in the growing Colorado Springs area. Even more ideally, I start something of my own related to travel and tourism, and end up closer to a shoreline.

When I am not working with the Quad, I am usually working at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. I enjoy working with art and with museums In my free time I like to unwind by sculpting with clay. I make lumpy sculptures, and I am also developing methods for firing clay that I have dug right out of the ground. I love to go running, and this is often where I get, or think about where to get more clay! And, contrary to all this excitement and work, I also like to go relax in the sun. Again, this is also ideally near a shoreline, but I often find a nice place in the Springs where I can sit back in my shorts and sunglasses and do absolutely nothing but soak up the sun.