Introductory Memo

TO:

Patrick Peters, Professor

FROM:

Mikey Klautzsch, Student

DATE:

April 10, 2015

Subject:

A Look into My Life

Growing up, there were three things that were extremely important to my happiness;
snowboarding, education, and family. I started skiing when I was only 3 years old and
after only a couple of years I was able to convince my dad to switch to snowboarding
with me. I still remember that blustery day when he and I took our first snowboarding
lesson. Since that day, we have yet to ski again. When I was a junior in high school I
began competing in the Central Oregon series Slopestyle events that are part of the
United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association (USASA). After my first
year competing, I ended up qualifying 2nd in Slopestyle for the 2013 USASA National
Championships at Copper Mountain, Colorado. Doing so well in this competition
changed my mindset about the sport and I made the decision to start taking snowboarding
much more seriously. I started riding full time during the winter season with a program in
Bend, Oregon called the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF). MBSEF
is a very successful program that has produced many talented snowboarders and even
Olympians, such as Ben Watts, Gabe and Ben Ferguson, Nathan Jacobson, Dru
Brownrigg, Jared Elston, and Kent Callister. The past two years I have been competing in
a series called the Revolution Tour. This gateway series will hopefully qualify me for
higher-level competitions, such as Grand Prixs, Dew Tours, X-Games, and possibly
even the 2018 Olympics in South Korea. My dream is to one-day be able to ride at the
Olympic level in snowboarding but not allow this get in the way of obtaining my degree
in higher education.
My father, Michael Klautzsch Sr., and my mother, Amy Klautzsch, were both first
generation college students. They had to work tirelessly to complete their advanced
degrees in higher education, while still maintaining jobs. They both acquired their
undergraduate degree from Oregon State University and went on to obtain graduate
degrees. My father pursued a professional degree from the University of Berkley in
California, and is now a successful optometrist in Corvallis. My mother received her
Masters Degree in Counseling and is now an academic counselor at Oregon State. For
them, not attending college was never an option, and they conveyed that clearly to my
younger brother Joshua and I while we were growing up.
My parents have always placed an extremely high emphasis on education. Getting poor
grades was never an option in my family. I graduated from West Albany High School in
2013 with a 3.99 G.P.A. and was able to complete a total of 67 college credits before I
even graduated. During my first year at Oregon State University I was able to enroll with

Introductory Memo
Page 2
April 13, 2015
a sophomore standing. Like most incoming college students, I have faced some
uncertainly as to what I wanted to do, but I was confident that I wanted a career in the
sciences. Im happy to say that as a second year college student at Oregon State
University, I have finally made the decision to obtain a degree in Mechanical
Engineering. Taking classes in this rigorous college curriculum while being a national
athlete has not been easy. Its very important for me to maintain good academic standing.
Trying to study in between competitions can be very demanding and stressful. I recall
this season having to practice for my competitions, study for midterms, then prepare for
the final day of competition all within the same week. This required motivation,
diligence and focused effort. Fortunately, my parents have always supported the
decisions I have made and trust that I will take my education and my snowboarding
career very seriously. This gives me the impetus to keep up with these activities.
My goal in life is to always do my best in everything I do. I was a varsity soccer player
all four years in high school and have always enjoyed the sport. I have had the
opportunity to try many different activities, from Downhill Mountain biking along the
amazing cascades to surfing the beautiful Oregon coast, and have been fortunate enough
to be able to travel to many different places with my family. I am fully aware that in
order to continue to do the things that make me happy, I need to be well educated.
Needless to say, I have led a pretty happy life so far. My only complaint is not having
enough hours in the day to be able to do everything I want to do.