Whether in a classroom or on the manufacturing floor, K-State Salina meets the learning needs of all students.
Thanks to a unique scholarship program, industrious engineering technology students combine classroom learning with on-the-job experience. The world needs more students like this.
Why did you choose K-State Salina?
“Initially, I went to K-State in Manhattan for mechanical engineering and quickly realized I’m a hands-on learner. The more theory-based classes were not for me. So I transferred to Salina’s mechanical engineering technology program.”
Did you always want to be an engineer?
“I’ve always been mechanically inclined. I spent a lot of time working with my dad on anything powered by an engine. I didn’t know much about manufacturing though, because there wasn’t any in my hometown of Inman, Kansas.
K-State Salina helped confirm that I belonged in mechanical engineering technology.”
Aside from graduating with little student debt, how did the Great Plains Scholars Program prepare you for life after college?
“It helped grow my confidence and my ability to make quick, educated decisions. I worked with Kubota engineers from Japan on a project that was new to me. They walked me through it and then I did it on my own. Moving forward, I get to continue to work on that project in my new job as a lead engineer at Great Plains.”
WHAT I’VE LEARNED
About balance
“When I’m at work, it takes my mind off school and vice versa. And the gym — it’s my escape from reality.”
About expectations
“I’m further along in my career than I expected to be. I could be a department head in a few years.”
About myself
“I like working on the manufacturing floor. I don’t want to be behind a computer all day.”
THE PITCH
Scholarships, whether funded by a person or a company, make a K-State degree a reality for so many students.
