ECE student inspired to follow brother’s path after loss

Colin Peck, a senior studying computer engineering and computer science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, found inspiration from the loss of his brother to help others. When Brian Peck, a UW–Madison junior studying biomedical engineering, tragically passed away from cardiac arrest at the age of 20, he was planning to begin an internship at Medtronic, a healthcare technology company. Now, Colin is carrying forward his brother’s legacy as an intern with the same company.

“At the start, losing my brother invoked a loss of identity. It forced me to grow up very fast, as I was 16 at the time. It was just before the outbreak of COVID-19, so the isolation was inconveniently timed with my grief. However, I was able to take a lot of time to reflect and work on myself; to determine what I could be and rediscover my purpose,” Colin Peck reflects on his brother’s passing in 2019. While still in high school, the Orland Park, Illinois native organized EKG drives to perform screenings used to detect potentially harmful cardiac conditions in his classmates. He remembers, “Brian’s passing gave me a new perspective of mortality, and how fragile life can be. It motivated me to advocate for the prevention of sudden cardiac death.”

Colin fell in love with the UW–Madison campus during visits to see his brother, Brian. “I chose UW–Madison for its wonderful engineering school as well as seeing it prior to my application,” says Colin. He adds, “I chose computer engineering and computer science because I have always been very drawn to technology and consider myself to be a problem solver…me and Brian would talk about technology all the time. It was a very shared interest between us.”

As an undergraduate student at UW-Madison, Colin sought to apply his classroom knowledge to enhance the quality of life for others. “During Brian’s interviewing process, I heard great things about Medtronic,” Colin says, prompting him to reach out to the company located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “They were very kind and supportive after hearing about Brian,” he recalled, “I work in the same operating unit as Brian would have. It is the cardiac rhythm management operating unit.”

In his role as a post-market quality engineering intern, Colin feels the impact he is making through his work, “Connecting with others here has put into perspective how much of a difference each individual role and person makes at Medtronic. Even little impressions made as an intern go a long way. It is an honor to be able to contribute to such an important cause.”

Looking forward, Colin plans to continue helping people through his work in cardiac healthcare, “I wish to pursue a career that allows me to contribute to the bettering of lives truthfully, especially cardiac health. It is a strong passion of mine to apply my work to that field.” He reflects, “Witnessing the impact and the background of cardiac health firsthand has only strengthened my passion for it. I know that I am exactly where I should be.”

Colin’s story was recently featured in an article for People Magazine, “21-Year-Old Takes Internship at Medical Device Company on Behalf of Brother Who Died of Cardiac Arrest“.

Top and bottom photos featuring Colin Peck (left) and Brian Peck (right) were submitted by Colin Peck.