Subject: Thanks!
Date: Once upon a time
From: <joe_vandal@acme_inc.com>
To: Professors W, X, Y, and Frenzel

Hello,

I wanted to thank you for your role in my education at the U of Idaho. I
truly had an excellent undergraduate experience which has already
developed into professional success. I have been working since January
'0X at Acme, Inc. in Colorado Springs, CO. I am a materials
engineer in the Design Validation Division where we make oscilloscopes
and logic analyzers. I support ASICs, FPGAs, and memory and my primary
role is supplier management and parts selection. I will also be working
on some ASIC design in the near future. In the time I've been with
Acme I've traveled (on business) to Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and
California to visit/audit suppliers. Acme will be paying my way
through graduate school starting in the fall at the University of
Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) where I will be pursuing coursework
in system design, ASIC design, and supply chain management. You were a
big part of my success at the U of I and have helped me down the path to
an enjoyable career as an electrical engineer.

Thanks!

Joe Vandal

Materials Engineer - ASICs, FPGAs, and memory

Acme, Inc.

(ed. Some small editorial changes to protect the innocent)

**************************************************************************

(ed. and a "qualified" endorsement from another :-) )

[...]

I still hold that your VHDL for synthesis class was my saving grace in
my BS degree.  I would be a starving engineer now except for that.  It
could have been better though.  If it had been Verilog, that would
have been better.  There are more Verilog designs out there making
money as far as I can tell.  VHDL is more of a government thing.
Maybe a Europe thing too.  [...]