ITHACA, N.Y. -- Kevin Ma thought he would be a business major when he arrived at Cornell. However, the universe had other plans for the Massachusetts native.

"The funny thing is coming into Cornell I thought I was going to be a business major," Ma said. "But when I got my offer I was told I was going to be going into the engineering school."

The senior offensive lineman, admittedly, was worried about the workload, but that quickly transformed into passion and curiosity about how the world around him works.

"I've always been curious about how the world around me worked, and engineering allowed me to grasp those things," he explained. "I ultimately chose Electrical & Computer Engineering because I thought it was the most versatile. There isn't a single industry that doesn't rely on something from ECE."

Ma has already experienced first-hand how vast the world of electrical and computer engineering can be through his internships. This past summer, he interned at Analog Devices, a semiconductor company where he learned about industry operations and built valuable connections. Two summers prior, he worked at ReelView Fishing, a startup that invented fishing line doubling as wire to connect live underwater cameras to smartphones.

"I got to work on a first-of-its-kind technology," Ma said. "It was a really fun and rewarding experience as I got to work really closely with the product and CEO."

Like Ma noted, there isn't a single industry that doesn't rely on ECE, but it goes beyond that for the offensive lineman who has seen deeper parallels between football and engineering. Going beyond the X's and O's, football and engineering share problem-solving under pressure and using different tools to achieve a common goal.

"On the field our coaches have taught us concepts, plays and schemes which all work together to create a productive offensive unit," he said. "As an engineer we have to solve different problems every day. These problems, like a defense, change and are never quite the same."

Just as different positions must work together on the field, engineering solutions require combining knowledge from different disciplines. "Often times, the solution to a problem isn't from a single field," Ma explained. "We need to apply different learnings from different classes, like the different positions on a field, together to solve the puzzle."

One thing that doesn't change is his dedication and commitment to excellence in the classroom. Ma earned a spot in Cornell's Athletics 400 Club for achieving a GPA above 4.0 in one semester and has made Dean's List five times. In high school, he was named a scholar-athlete for Massachusetts by the National Football Foundation and earned a spot on their National Team of Distinction.

Maintaining that excellence requires discipline. His day starts at 6:20 a.m. on football mornings, heading to facilities before breakfast and classes. After a full academic day, it's back to practice until around 7:45 p.m., followed by homework until midnight.

"Coach Swanstrom likes to say 'If you're doing it right, you don't got much time for anything else, but school and football,'" Ma said.

For his professors, it comes as a surprise that Ma continues to be a top student in the classroom and a main piece of the offensive line for one of the best offenses in the Ivy League.

"In the engineering space there are a lot of people and professors who are surprised," he said about reactions to his football career. "I think mainly because people don't associate playing football with being the best in the classroom."

That same methodical approach guides his post-graduation thinking. As he looks toward the future, Ma is considering Cornell's early Master of Engineering Program which would allow him to graduate with his master's degree next fall.

Then, it's time for the senior to figure out where he fits in the world. "I'm really not dead set on anything," he said. "I think for now I'm going to continue exploring the semiconductor industry, but AI has definitely piqued my interest. I'd say I'm still figuring it out, but I know God has a plan."

Beyond finding a career that excites him, Ma hopes to keep relationships he has built at Cornell and help his younger brother find his passions by helping pay for his college tuition. His faith, nurtured through his involvement with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, shapes his broader vision for the future.

"I hope that I'm excited by whatever work I'm doing and that I'm hungry to keep pushing and growing," he said. "I hope my friends and family are happy and healthy. And I hope that I'm living a life that glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ."

Through FCA, Ma continues giving back to the community while balancing the demands of Division I football and one of Cornell's most challenging academic programs.

From an unexpected path into engineering to exploring cutting-edge technology, Ma exemplifies the adaptability that defines both successful engineers and football players. Sometimes the best destinations are the ones you never planned to reach.