Eric Henne

Erik Henne graduated from Silverwood in 1995, then attended Central Kitsap Junior High, Central Kitsap High School (he was Class of 2001 Salutatorian and a state swimmer) and the Honors Program at University of Washington.  Erik graduated with a BS in mechanical engineering in June 2006 and was immediately employed at Uptake Medical Corporation in Seattle. (www.uptakemedical.com) 

Erik has been working on a novel treatment for emphysema: a medical device that uses steam to achieve lung volume reduction bronchoscopically as an alternative to surgery. At Uptake Medical, Erik works on product development, leads an ex-vivo lab, supports pre-clinical studies, and flies to Australia and Germany to conduct clinical trials. Erik loves to travel, loves science and is fluent in German, so he's perfect for this job!
 
Erik is married to Heather Turchin Henne, a fourth year medical student at UW.  They love to hike, ski mountaineer, and travel together.  Their most recent adventure was trekking in Patagonia and their passports have been stamped in many locales, including Peru, Taiwan, and Slovenia. You can see photos and read about their many adventures at www.erikhenne.com. 

When Erik was at Silverwood, he was an integral part of our championship Odyssey of the Mind team.  No one from that era will ever forget his expertise at building structurally sound bridges out of balsa wood!
 
Erik's favorite memory of Silverwood: "The senior trip to a world class mountaintop observatory in Tucson, Arizona was by far my most memorable experience. I learned more about the cosmos in that week than during the rest of my life and I had more fun with my classmates than the entire rest of the year."
 
Erik credits his Silverwood education with:  "Allowing me to explore my creativity and teaching me that I am capable of anything I put my mind to."

Erik's thoughts on education and the importance of his Silverwood education:

"Silverwood made the rest of my educational career easier and more enjoyable. Silverwood exposed me to science and language concepts that I was relating to even during my college career.  Having been exposed to these concepts in such a natural way at such a young age, made grasping complex ideas at an older age much easier."

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