Bio

As a multi-disciplined artist, Han has embraced the long and difficult path that has led him to specialize in writing and composing. But art is far from the only thing that holds his interest, as evidenced by his employment history. Two years into a Journalism degree at Colorado State University, he found himself longing for a deeper connection to music.

A unique opportunity was presented to him in the form of an esteemed professor who excelled in his chosen instrument, the saxophone, and he switched majors to Music to study jazz with a budding legend. The problem with Han’s artistic life began after four years at CSU when he ran out of funds and was still years away from completing a degree. Wrestling with the choice of going further into debt while pursuing a dream or finding a new path, Han chose to join the Navy while the war in the Middle East dragged on.

After completing boot camp and initial training as an Electronics Technician, Han was assigned to a Minesweeping crew out of Ingleside, Texas. During his four years with that crew, he served on the USS Gladiator, the USS Sentry, the USS Devastator, and the USS Champion while completing three deployments to Bahrain. He also served as the ship’s only Surface Rescue Swimmer, specializing in the recovery of downed fighter and helicopter pilots (two duties which he thankfully never had to perform) as well as the recovery of equipment (a duty he very regularly performed).

When his four-year sea tour was over, he became an instructor at the Center for Information Dominance Unit San Diego, teaching a full-spectrum computer course to his fellow Electronics Technicians. When the number of Information Technology Technicians reached a critical low point, Han was hand-picked to cross over and teach a System Administration course at the top of the stunningly beautiful Point Loma. At the end of that tour, Han decided to leave the Navy after 8 and a half years of service.

Feeling the call of the mountains back in his native Colorado, Han took up residence in his in-law’s town of Colorado Springs. From there, Han found employment at the Missile Defense Agency working alongside retired Generals to equip and train active Generals around the world. While his travel was limited in the Navy, during his time with MDA Han traveled extensively, landing in Japan, Australia, Hawaii, California, Virginia, UK, Luxembourg, France, Portugal, Italy, Slovenia, Poland, The Netherlands, Estonia, Croatia, and Germany.

While traveling, Han took the opportunity to use his G.I. Bill and study Music Composition for Film, TV, and Video Games at Berklee College of Music Online. This endeavor lasted for a few years until the travel became too much. After two troubled attempts at completing a degree, Han chose to focus on his work, which resulted in him being awarded the Missile Defense Agency Contractor of the Year Award for Test and Quality Assurance in 2023.

Han still works at MDA in a new capacity as a Cybersecurity professional, but has also branched out in his home life as well. He opened the doors to Black Forest Dog Resort with his wife in 2023, providing dog boarding and grooming services.

As for his artistic endeavors, while they were paused at times, Han never gave up his pursuit of writing and music. This led to him being selected as a Finalist in the Writers Guild Foundation Veterans Screenwriting Program in 2023. His music has also been featured on the popular screenwriting podcast Scriptnotes. Han continues to practice his chosen artistic disciplines to this day.