KENNESAW, Ga. | Mar 25, 2026

After years of repairing aircraft electronics in the U.S. Navy and building systems for military aircraft, Chris Payne ’22 came to Kennesaw State University determined to change his future. What followed was a return to the classroom that set him on a new path toward an engineering career.

When Payne enrolled at KSU in 2018, he was not a typical first-year student. At age 38, he had already spent years in demanding technical environments, first in the military and later in aerospace manufacturing.

Still, Payne knew he wanted something different.

“I decided it was time to start using my brain more than my back,” Payne said. “I’d spent years doing physically demanding work, and I knew if I wanted a long-term future, I needed to shift toward engineering and design.”

That decision led him to Kennesaw State’s Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology. Payne graduated in 2022 and immediately stepped into a role that allows him to design solutions rather than install them.

Payne grew up moving frequently before settling in Cartersville, Georgia, at age 14 to live with his father. Together they spent evenings fixing cars, repairing things around the house, and learning how to solve problems on their own.

“If something was broken around the house, we fixed it,” Payne said. “We didn’t call anyone.”

After graduating from Cass High School in 1999, Payne joined the U.S. Navy as an avionics technician, maintaining aircraft electronics, including radar, navigation, and communication systems.

“One of the biggest things the military taught me was troubleshooting,” Payne said. “When an aircraft had a problem, we had to figure out exactly what component failed and fix it quickly.”

Payne served 10 years in the Navy before transitioning into civilian technical roles. He later joined Lockheed Martin, where he spent 12 years installing wiring harnesses for aircraft, including the F-22 and C-130J.

But the job’s physical demands eventually caught up with him. After back surgery in 2017, Payne realized he needed a different path.

“Working on aircraft is not ergonomic at all,” Payne said. “You’re constantly bending and twisting in tight spaces.”

Using military education benefits, Payne enrolled at Kennesaw State as a nontraditional student. Returning to school after nearly two decades meant relearning how to study and adjusting to classes filled with much younger students.

During his time as a student, Payne also benefited from KSU’s Military and Veteran Services, spending countless hours in the MVS office studying or taking a break between classes on the Marietta Campus.

“Chris brought years of professional experience and a clear sense of purpose when he arrived at Kennesaw State,” SPCEET Dean Lawrence Whitman said. “Students like Chris enrich the learning environment because they connect classroom concepts with real-world challenges.”

Several faculty members played important roles in Payne’s journey, including Richard Kennedy, Aaron Adams, and Santana Roberts.

Roberts’ support extended beyond academics. During Payne’s final year at KSU, his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. After learning she would likely lose her hair during treatment, Roberts shaved his own head in solidarity. His wife is now in remission.

“That was hugely impactful,” Payne said. “I saw support from all my professors, but that one was unique.”

Today, Payne works as a senior mechanical engineer at Freedom Electronics, where he develops solutions for equipment used in convenience stores and fuel dispensers. As the company’s only mechanical engineer, he oversees product development, manufacturing support, and a 3D printing lab used to prototype new designs.

“My role is very unique because I wear a lot of hats,” Payne said. “Every day brings a different challenge, and I enjoy figuring out how to turn those challenges into practical solutions.”

Since graduating, Payne has already contributed to multiple innovations, including two issued patents and two pending patents related to engineering solutions he developed during his career. Still, the achievement he values most is finishing the journey he started when he returned to school.

“If I had to pick one thing,” Payne said, “it would be setting out to earn my degree and actually finishing it to better my life and the life of my family.”

– Story by Raynard Churchwell

Photos by Darnell Wilburn

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.