By Caroline Osterman

“The Berkeley MEng was one of the few programs that offered this intersection between business and engineering.”Outside of the classroom, Patrick was heavily involved at Berkeley. He took several courses and lecture series with the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (SCET), and won a MedTech Innovator competition with a fellow peer from the MEng program. He also lived in International House, where he met friends from all around the world, and played on a basketball team with some fellow members of his MEng cohort. “That is what was so striking about the MEng program: the quality of people, and how diverse the backgrounds were,” Patrick expressed — that, as well as the chance to individualize his curriculum and explore different avenues like entrepreneurship while earning his degree. Right before graduation in 2017, Patrick received an offer from global management consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG). He’s worked out of their Hamburg, Germany office for the past year and a half on consulting projects in countries all over the world, such as Canada and Indonesia. “Things I learned in the MEng program — particularly presenting, pitching, and constructing storylines — has helped so much in my daily work,” Patrick asserts. “It is such a practical program; it has made a huge difference.”
“Things I learned in the MEng program — particularly presenting, pitching, and constructing storylines — has helped so much in my daily work.”World travel hasn’t been the only perk to his consulting gig. Another benefit Patrick has received with working at Boston Consulting Group is their unpaid leave program— which is what he’s been using to kickstart his NGO.

“We believe this [makerspace] will allow them to immediately improve their living conditions, build strong communities, and hence, lower the potential for conflict and social instability.”Patrick spent several weeks in Lebanon in the summer of 2017 to launch the pilot project and bring the makerspace to life. Partnering with another active NGO in Lebanon, the project was continued for one year, and its success in the refugee camps in Bekaa Valley was monitored throughout. Patrick has now been utilizing his unpaid leave with BCG to work full-time on extending the project. Since late 2018 he has been fundraising and assembling a team of volunteers, and his NGO doin’ good was formally incorporated in Germany this February.

“When you work on a project like this, you realize how important it is to have great people around you that are driven and want to make a change in the world. In Berkeley, especially the MEng program, you are surrounded by so many amazing people that come from all walks of life. Take time to immerse yourself in that. Take advantage of being surrounded by so many amazing people — and then stay in touch with these people. It’s incredibly valuable.”To contribute to the doin’ good crowdfunding campaign, donate at betterplace.org. Read more MEng alumni stories on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram!
Patrick Thelen: Building hope for Syrian refugees was originally published in Berkeley Master of Engineering on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.