They say the family is the bond that never breaks, and that could not be truer for the Pikes. The family has always done things together — traveling during the summer from Korea and Spain to Portugal and England, to going on church mission trips. In fact, every male in the Pike family is an Eagle Scout — the highest honor in the program.
“We’re not only family, we’re friends,” said Gary Pike, the patriarch of the family.
That close-knit sentiment is quite evident among the Pikes. Whereas most kids shrug off the notion of hanging out with their parents, sons Justin, Collin and Patrick embrace the extra bonding time with their father and mother, Anna. Even through some questionable, and outright scary, travel adventures, the spontaneous family still manages to become closer and with their humor intact.
Recalling an adventurous family trip driving through Europe, Collin remembers an almost heart-stopping moment at the border when patrolmen pulled machine guns on the family.
They were traveling through Europe, including England, Portugal and Spain to tour Gibraltar, and after sightseeing through the country, they were on their way back across the border. Anna’s rusty stick shift skills weren’t exactly up to par, especially when disoriented by driving on the wrong side of the car and road — a task difficult for any American. When trying to leave, the tires spun making high-pitched squeals and loud screeches.
“And then all of them came out with the guns pointed at us so I rolled down the window and said, ‘Crazy woman driver,’ Gary said. “They all laughed and walked back inside.”
So it made sense that if they are able to travel the world together and survive, why not attend school together? That’s why they all decided to attend Auburn University and major in engineering.
But why Auburn? Why engineering? The Pikes didn’t come to Auburn for the football-filled Saturdays with tailgaters and fans decked in orange and blue cheering up and down the street, according to Gary. They came because Auburn Engineering was the best choice.
When deciding their major, each Pike knew the career path they wanted. They have an insatiable drive to accomplish everything they possibly can, which is why they each are pursuing a dual major and a minor. Collin chose engineering and business finance because both disciplines are challenging, showcasing his dedicated work ethic and determination.
“I like to say, it’s like the John F. Kennedy quote about, ‘Why do you go to the moon? Not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard,’” Collin said. “It’s well respected.”
On the other hand, Justin has always been fascinated with space. Despite his parents’ wishes for him to stay grounded on Earth, Justin’s ultimate dream is to become a NASA astronaut. That’s why he decided to pursue bachelor’s degrees in aerospace engineering and business administration.
“I’ve been traveling my whole life with my family, so I might as well go to space where they can’t go,” Justin said with a laugh.
Gary decided to move from the banking field to bigger and better opportunities, where he can truly make an inspiring difference in his career. With that mission and goal in mind, he returned to school to earn software engineering and business finance degrees. He began taking classes at Southern Union State Community College three years ago and then transferred to Auburn to achieve his ambitions.
Collin started studying computer science at Faulkner University, and later transferred to Southern Union, where his dad was taking classes. After deciding software engineering was his career path, Collin chose Auburn.
After graduating high school, Justin originally attended the University of South Alabama, but he, too, eventually ended up on the Plains. One could say, Auburn was meant for the Pikes. All three have almost completed their aviation management minor and are considering declaring another minor in Japanese.
Even though Collin and Justin went separate ways right out of high school, they came full circle and found their way back to Auburn, demonstrating they can each have their individual career goals while still working together as a family to achieve them.
Juniors Gary and Justin and senior Collin are currently completing their second semester, and they have become expert time managers. With an average of six classes per day, the three have each minute mapped out. From making the hour and a half drive at 5 a.m. to Auburn from Roanoke, where they reside, to tutoring in between classes and staying late for club meetings, the three stay on the go.
With Anna and Patrick joining them on the Plains in 2017, this will complete the Pike engineering family tie. Patrick wants to pursue biosystems engineering, and Anna has expressed interest in chemical engineering.
Engineers find themselves together most hours of the day, working on class assignments or solving those last-minute equations. Gary, Justin and Collin fall under the same umbrella, spending anywhere between 40-50 hours per week hammering out homework together.
Gary maintains a sense of humor about it, saying engineers don’t have a spring break, or they can’t socialize with friends every night. However, they do find time to be members of the Amateur Radio Club, ACM computer club, National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Honors College.
If that wasn’t enough, Justin and Collin both work at Walmart and Jack’s on the weekends when they aren’t in class. Needing a break from the school grind, they use this time to cope with their massive workload.
“In reality, you need to pull your brain away from homework every so often, and the only time we have away from engineering is when we’re at our jobs, because we’re having to do something else,” Collin said.
To make sure they accomplish everything for the day, they use Cozi, a free family calendar app that shares their schedules with each other. The app is compatible with iWatches, which can be found on their wrists at all times, and it sends them alerts for each activity during the day.
The family also tries to take most of the same classes so their schedules will align. The beauty of their arrangement is if someone doesn’t understand class material, another family member can always serve as a study buddy. They even study in the car on the way to class so the long commute isn’t as bad.
“If there’s a test that day, we could go over the test going and coming,” Gary said. “While one of us is driving, the other is asking questions.”
The Pikes constantly think about the engineering class material and concepts, not just during the day, but during the slumbers of their sleep, too. They sometimes wake up with a determined urge to solve that puzzling problem.
“Collin will hear me holler out, ‘Uh oh,’ and I would jump up out of bed and head downstairs, and he’ll come down there and say, ‘I guess you’re trying to figure out a problem, aren’t you?” Gary said. “And I’ll say, ‘No I’ve figured it out, but I’m just down here getting it done before I forget it.”
If a hard-working student takes the time to ask a question, the professors and teaching assistants in the College of Engineering will always provide help and support, according to Gary. He recalls numerous times where he uses the extra time with his professors to his advantage.
“The teachers, they’ll make time to talk to you,” Gary said. “And if it means they’re going to stay later than 4:45, I’ve had them say, ‘Just come on, I’ll wait for you.’”
Collin, Justin and Gary boast about the prestigious Auburn Engineering program and the multiple successes they have shared together. Whether it’s coding computer programs or working in the lab until early morning hours, the three find satisfaction in those moments that make the hard work worth it.
Justin’s best engineering moment was launching his first rocket in his introduction to aerospace engineering class. It soared higher than anyone else’s, scoring him 10 bonus points. Similarly, when Collin’s first computer programming code worked, he said the feeling of accomplishment was his favorite memory.
The boys have proven to be successful in their own way within the college. Gary and Collin each made a perfect 4.0 GPA in fall 2015, landing them on the dean’s list, which Gary said was a great engineering achievement. Justin, Collin and Gary assisted with E-Day earlier this spring, and Gary especially enjoyed giving tours to prospective students in software engineering.
However, the three agreed deadlines are the largest obstacle they face in school. With 23-25 credits per person, they seem to make the improbable possible. The Honors College even told them they have the most contracted academic hours of any honors student.
Next fall, Justin, Collin and Gary hope to be co-op students, with graduation on the books for May 2018. After completing their undergraduate degrees, they’re already planning for doctorate degrees in the near future. Gary would like to be a graduate teaching assistant while completing his graduate degree.
“You’ve got to have your goals set high,” Gary said.
Through it all, the ambitious father-son trio has been able to share many special experiences and speak highly of their time at Auburn. As Gary emphatically states, after all, who wouldn’t want to come to Auburn?
“Any one of us can go to Foy and sit at a table, or we can go to the Student Center and sit at a table, and somebody who knows us will stop by and sit and chat,” Gary said. “That doesn’t happen at all schools.”
Going from freshman to junior status in only two semesters, Justin, Gary and Collin are exemplary models for any student at Auburn.
“Whatever I do in my life, I want to make it something that when I leave this world for the last time, I want to leave a legacy that I did something to help mankind and can be forever remembered for doing something good for everybody else,” Gary said.
