Ryan Otroba treats drumming like a science. The West Virginia University senior civil engineering student from Centreville, Virginia, can even compare his lab assignments to his practices with the WVU Marching Band.

Otroba has been a member of the “Pride of West Virginia” throughout his career at the University, playing the tenor drums in the drum line.

“When I start to learn new music, it’s like, ‘oh, why did they write that? That’s dumb.’ But then you play it with the band, and you understand it much better,” he said. “It’s the same thing as learning in class ? when you’re professor is drawing diagrams on the board and you really don’t understand it, but then you go and see it visually in person, you get it.”

Otroba says the best part of his experience in the Marching Band is the opportunity to make the outline of the state of West Virginia on Milan Puskar Stadium.

“There’s something more that state outline gives the fans and the people of West Virginia,” he said. “It’s pretty special. It’s pretty cool.”

Otroba is the next student featured in Project ME, an initiative to recruit and retain high-quality students to West Virginia University and show them there is a home for them here in Morgantown.

His story is just one of many in which students at WVU found what they’re most passionate about while studying at the University. You can read more about his and watch a video at http://projectme.wvu.edu/ryan-otroba.

The project will unveil a new student story each month. If you know of a student who has a great story to tell, submit your suggestion for Project ME at http://projectme.wvu.edu/submit-your-story.

-WVU-

td/11/12/14

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