Since he was a young boy, David Dargatz has been mesmerized by design and the thought that is put into creating a work of art. His mother first introduced him to the gift of art at a young age. She would draw on the church bulletin during liturgy to keep him entertained, and he would attempt to imitate his mother's sketches. Dargatz's parents also gave him another an incredibly powerful gift throughout his childhood—faith. They constantly reminded him that Jesus Christ was someone he could always count on throughout his journey.

"I had a friend who asked me to draw him a car with different parts of various cars and combine it into one," said Dargatz. "It occurred to me that I created something new and different." At that moment, Dargatz realized how intriguingly complex the process of constructing a motor vehicle truly was. It was then that he decided he, too, would like to contribute his talents and ideas to automotive design.

It occurred to me that I created something new and different."

Despite struggling with dyslexia throughout his life, Dargatz and the Concordia faculty worked together to overcome the obstacles that presented themselves throughout his undergraduate studies. "Concordia has really helped me through my struggles with academics, and I was able to sculpt and manipulate the Studio Art major to be my own,” said Dargatz. “I chose Concordia because it was a small environment and I was able to navigate my major and goals better.”

Dargatz always felt that Concordia’s campus was extremely welcoming and felt that he fit well into the Eagle community. His father was also part of the Concordia community for 20 years, before becoming a pastor at Immanuel Lutheran in Orange. “My father, Robert, is a former professor and was the 6th full-time faculty member to be hired at Christ College Irvine when they started,” said Dargatz.

Since graduating from Concordia, Dargatz has interned at Mercedes-Benz, Phiaro Inc., and Honda Research & Development. During his employment at these corporations, he was able to take part in the planning and development of vehicles that will appear on the market in the near future. "When designing a product, you want to give it purpose," said Dargatz. "You want to make an improvement on what is already existing or come up with something new and exciting."

In the future, he hopes to own his own company and share his own thoughts, or perhaps work for a company where he can help make a difference in the world. "Concordia has given me a direction to go, and they really want you to find what you're passionate about," said Dargatz. "I think that's the most important part—really finding out what your story is going to end up being."

When designing a product, you want to give it purpose."
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