God’s Design for Danny Sandoval: Sharing Christ through an Engineering Degree

By Kalli Kauffman (BA 27)

Searching for an out-of-state school with a solid engineering program can be difficult. Fortunately for Grace alumnus Danny Sandoval, taking the next step in his journey required looking no further than his hometown of Winona Lake, Indiana. 

The Path to an Engineering Degree

When Sandoval was seven, his family relocated from Mexico to Winona Lake, and the Grace campus became his backyard. Sandoval’s father got involved in Spannerfield Ministry, where he not only demonstrated a strong faith but also trusted God in everything as his family adjusted to the move. 

“I like to say that my dad is my role model because he really lived out his faith and trusted in the Lord,” said Sandoval. 

His father’s influence helped Sandoval set a firm foundation in Christ. As Sandoval grew up, this became essential for his own spiritual journey and the pursuit of a future career. 

“I’ve always had a passion for engineering, making, designing, and working through problems that don’t have an easy solution,” said Sandoval. “Growing up, I wanted to work for NASA. So I thought, ‘What would be the best way to get into that?’ Engineering was a quick answer.” 

While Sandoval never ended up pursuing a career at NASA, his interest in an engineering degree offered him numerous opportunities within the local Winona Lake area. 

 “Warsaw is known as the Orthopedic Capital of the World®, where there are many orthopedic companies that attract a lot of attention through engineering and other careers,” said Sandoval. “Growing up here, I was really interested in what orthopedics brought to the community and what they did around the world.”

Fortunately for Sandoval, this orthopedic capital was not only in close proximity to his home, but fostered close ties to Grace College faculty and administrators. 

“The more I looked into Grace College, the more attractive it sounded,” said Sandoval.

For Sandoval, Grace’s engineering department was most importantly an avenue for developing a biblical understanding of engineering. 

“During my time at Grace, I could see the way God was the original engineer through how he created us,” said Sandoval. “Everyone in the engineering department had unique skills and abilities. This was a reminder that he gave me engineering skills to use for his kingdom.” 

The Growth of Relationships

While busy pursuing an engineering degree, Sandoval continued to grow in his faith. Amidst a busy college schedule, Sandoval met frequently with former Grace Chaplain Juan Carlos, who poured into the Hispanic students on campus. At the time, Sandoval was also going to Winona Lake Grace Church. Here, he came to develop a deeper relationship with Carlos. 

“He was an accountability partner for me through a program at church called Fight Club,” said Sandoval. “I was able to really share my spiritual journey with him through that. He was the person who poured most into me spiritually.”

During this time, Sandoval also appreciated the foundational friendships he formed with other friends on campus.

“We developed a really good bond which has stuck up until now,” said Sandoval. “They were always good at encouraging me to stay in the Bible and go to chapel. “We would share about our spiritual struggles, and we did everything together throughout college.”

In this period of spiritual growth, he also ended up meeting his wife Hannah at Grace, an environmental studies major. 

“Some mutual friends set us up,” said Sandoval. “We were going to play basketball. No one showed up but me and her. We played basketball for an hour, got to talking, and became really good friends.” 

Eventually, the two ended up dating and married the month before Sandoval graduated from college in 2018. 

Sandoval’s Turning Point

Following graduation, Sandoval had the desire to serve God with his engineering degree. Confused about his next step, he discovered his first job following college through a friend’s recommendation. 

“I had a mutual friend who worked at Zimmer Biomet,” said Sandoval. “He sent me a job posting two weeks after graduation. That was a really big answer to prayer.” 

In the years that followed, God continued to open doors for Sandoval. After working as a regulatory affairs specialist at Zimmer for six months following graduation, he eventually took on a position at DePuy and later worked for Medtronic. After working for not one, not two, but three orthopedic industry leaders post graduation, in 2023, Sandoval felt called to something new. 

Eventually, a company called Design Outreach contacted Sandoval and he went in for an interview. Not long after, he got the job. 

“That was really the turning point in my career where God was calling me into ministry and into using my engineering to further his kingdom,” said Sandoval. 

At Design Outreach, Sandoval used his engineering degree to benefit others. Design Outreach is a faith-based nonprofit humanitarian organization that strives to use engineering to relieve global poverty. They look to promote reliable and successful medical care in Africa.

One essential need Design Outreach works to address is wound care. For many hospitals in Africa, the right medical equipment is not available to help injured patients. 

“A lot of medical equipment donated to Africa ends up breaking due to lack of electricity,” explained Sandoval. “No one knows how to use the equipment, and there are no resources to further use the equipment donated… Design Outreach wants to address that need by making medical devices that will last, be easily used, and won’t need to rely on electricity or professionals going through training to use in depth.”

For Sandoval, this service has been an eye-opening experience. Not only has he been involved in designing his products, but Sandoval has also traveled to Malawi, where he tested a prototype of a wound vac, a device used for “wound therapy.” 

“The biggest thing that we kept hearing from them, [doctors and nurses], is that it will save lives,” said Sandoval. “People who need their wounds treated will benefit from having a device that will help with [wounds].” 

For Sandoval, by continuing to design and enhance these products, he can “bring hope to those who need it.” 

Like Sandoval, no matter where you go, whether in Malawi or Winona Lake, Indiana, you can use your career as a mechanical engineer to serve others. 

Are you interested in becoming a mechanical engineer? Were you created to emulate the great Designer through an engineering degree? Consider our engineering programs. Learn more about our mechanical engineering classes or ABET accreditation.