In Their Own Words
Rewind to 2019, a disgruntled high school student didn’t believe in higher education and thought the monetary value required to obtain a degree heavily outweighed the value brought about by the degree itself. In 2023, that same student had a slow and gradual change of heart which fundamentally shifted
his view on the education system.
When I, Colin Schultz, initially joined the Mechanical Engineering Technology (METC) program at Ivy Tech, I didn’t feel I had many options. Any job I took at the time would have been seen as borderline exploitative and didn’t consider me as an individual. I was a young creative with aspirations of conceptualizing, innovating, and inventing new technologies with the aim of affecting the world at large and not just my local communities. Not to sound hyperbolic, but I would’ve chosen the slow grind that’s associated with owning a business over working an occupation of a small magnitude. No matter what
the field, you should do what you love, which for me is research.
Upon entering college, I was incredibly anxious, doubtful, and ignorant of the opportunities this educational institution could provide. Ivy Tech not only jump-started my engineering career but continuously catalyzed that career to new bounds I never thought possible.
Most of my professors from the Indianapolis, Lawrence, and Anderson campuses have fostered environments that cultivate hardworking attitudes. They approached the classroom from a professional lens, believed in their students, and enabled them to reach higher levels on a more individual level.
More specifically, I will forever be in debt to professors like James Hamilton, as there is nothing more valuable in an educational body than a professor that truly believes in their students. Ivy Tech provided a new environment that slowly equipped me with the interpersonal skills to help alleviate my anxious tendencies. I went from wanting to run from my future to diving headfirst, no matter the short-term pain it may have caused.
Ivy Tech serves as a medium for students – such as myself – to work with employers on a more interpersonal level, and it has catalyzed jump-starting my career in the engineering field. I got an extensive introduction to the engineering ecosystem and received the resources and opportunity to gain real-world work experience.
At Ivy Tech, I received my Associates of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology and found a job in the aerospace industry and actinide manufacturing. More importantly, through Ivy Tech, I gained the real-world experiences that helped me develop hardened interpersonal skills that in turn suppressed my anxiety
– Colin Schultz, Spring 2023 Ivy Tech Indianapolis Graduate
I started with a part-time position in aerospace at "Belcan." I was presented with the opportunity at Belcan through an in-class presentation. Soon after, I accepted a part-time position as a Mechanical Drafter with the option to work around my school schedule. This experience helped me suppress my anxiety and led me to train 10 to 12 employees, some of whom were Ivy Tech students.
The symbiotic relationships formed between firms like Belcan and Ivy Tech present students with an opportunistic pathway to convert the progression of their careers from linear to exponential.
Students that put in the effort, especially, will reap the benefits Ivy Tech offers. And this leads me to the opportunity that I’d like to put forward for the Ivy Tech students reading this blog.
As mentioned, the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) hired me full time through Ivy Tech. Within this short time, it’s become apparent to me that this is not just a position but it’s an opportunity. The nature of the role will enable me to advance toward my short-term goal of finishing my education and later developing technologies for the world at large. An example of
this is how we process plutonium to further deep space missions for NASA and work towards developing process improvements, which is a challenging task.
We at the lab would like to give more students at Ivy Tech access to this opportunity. We seek individuals who want to advance their career, learn, and impact the world.
Listed below are our contacts.
Please, feel free to inquire about what we can offer you.
I plan to stay in touch with Ivy Tech as I progress through my journey of moving to Los Alamos, New Mexico. I hope to return to campus in the future to aid in hiring more Ivy Tech students for this fantastic opportunity.
At Ivy Tech, I received my Associates of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology and found a job in the aerospace industry and actinide manufacturing. More importantly, through Ivy Tech, I gained the real-world experiences that helped me develop hardened interpersonal skills that in turn
suppressed my anxiety.
In short, I am far from finished, but with the help of this educational institution, I didn’t start the race walking; I started it with a sprint.
Ivy Tech serves as a medium for students – such as myself – to work with employers on a more interpersonal level, and it has catalyzed jump-starting my career in the engineering field. I got an extensive introduction to the engineering ecosystem and received the resources and opportunity to gain real-world work experience.
– Colin Schultz, Spring 2023 Ivy Tech Indianapolis Graduate
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.
