DEKALB, Ill. -- It has been a busy summer for former Northern Illinois University goalkeeper Andrew Glaeser (2013-15). After earning his master's degree from the University of Wisconsin, the Walla Walla, Wash., native moved back to New Hampshire to return to Raytheon Technologies, where he has worked since earning his bachelor's degree from NIU in mechanical engineering.

"I have been here for just over three months," Glaeser said of his return to New England. "It has been good, with COVID and everything, it impacted us quite a bit, so I am actually working from home and have been since I've been back. So even though I'm back at work, I'm not really back at work, but I am super grateful."

The son of engineers who worked in the military, Glaeser intended to follow the path of his parents in the engineering field. Following two years at Oregon State, he came to NIU seeking a bigger opportunity on the field, while being able to continue to pursue his post-soccer career ambitions.  

"Of course, the main driver in my decision to transfer to NIU was soccer," Glaeser said. "But I definitely did some research into the academic program and the Engineering School at NIU seemed desirable and definitely something that would allow me to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish, it was a great program and I have only good things to say about it."

In three seasons as a Huskie, Glaeser made 44 starts in goal, posting 10 shutouts, he was a two-time Academic All-MAC performer (2014, '15), a MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete (2014) and was named to three different all-tournament teams. After graduation, Glaeser moved east to join Raytheon, a defense contractor just outside of Boston that works in a variety of fields including aerospace, integrated defense, missile systems and cyber systems. 

"After school I was looking for technical-type roles and with the military background that I grew up in, both of my parents are military, the defense industry seemed like something I could be really passionate about based on kind of an understanding of it (through my parents)," Glaeser explained. "An opportunity opened up for me at Raytheon and it fit everything that I was hoping to potentially do after school in terms of career growth potential and the types of technical things I was looking to do, so it all just kind of fell into place."

Rotating through a number of areas within the company, including roles in manufacturing and assembly, as well as the design side of the business, Glaeser earned a wide variety of experience before the company sent him back to grad school in 2018 to earn his master's degree. Following two years in Madison, he returned to New England and jumped right back into his work as a design engineer. 

"Raytheon is very dynamic in terms of how we do things, so there is definitely a bit of a learning curve for things that have changed while I was gone," he said about his return following grad school. "They slip you into a role similar to what you were doing, previously before you left, and once you get your feet back on the ground they will elevate you into different roles, potentially taking on more responsibility, maybe giving you a complete product design ownership-type role, something along those lines."

As he reflected upon his time as a Huskie, the former goalkeeper who now spends most of his free time in the outdoors, enjoying all the hunting, hiking and camping available in New Hampshire, was hit with a number of memories from his three seasons in DeKalb. But as he reflected, the biggest memory that stood out came from the final game of his senior season, sharing one final moment in uniform with his teammates.

"In the tent where we changed, obviously we were all disappointed (about a season-ending defeat), it was a moment for the seniors," Glaeser recalled. "The comradery, the support, there was just a moment where everyone went around and hugged everybody, it was just very sentimental and something that I look back on and reflects everything about NIU, the brotherhood with all the guys and the memories that were made over the three years that I was there."