Dean Defuria

After graduating from Linfield in 2013, Dean attended UC Irvine and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. He currently works at Virgin Orbit where he oversees the manufacturing of major composite structures for the LauncherOne rocket. He’s involved in Mission Bible Church in Tustin, and he spends his free time rock climbing, hiking, and cycling.

When Dean looks back on his years at Linfield, he remembers going to Winter Mountain Retreat and how important it was to disconnect from the normal chaos of life to simply focus on worshipping the Lord together, and he says that while he’s incredibly grateful for the way his AP courses helped him start university with a leg up, Linfield most clearly impacted him through its focus on Christ over popular opinion. He says, “The emphasis on teaching the Bible as the literal Word of God has helped me face the politically correct culture of college and the world. Our current culture tends to indoctrinate people who don’t know what they believe, and it silences anyone who teaches a non-relative truth. The gospel truth does not waver, so I am thankful that Linfield so unapologetically taught the Bible as the lens through which we should view the world.”