Following is a Q&A with one of the 749 students who received a diploma Dec. 16 at UW-Stout.
Name: Craig Walker
Hometown: New Lisbon
Major: Engineering technology: concentration in mechanical design
Awards, honors: Honor Society, 2017 Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Nominee.
Why did you choose UW-Stout? Back in high school, my tech ed teacher and his wife went to UW-Stout and had nothing but great things to say about it. My aunt also went to UW-Stout and absolutely loved it. After taking a tour, I noticed that everyone, faculty and staff, were very nice and very helpful. I also enjoyed that Stout had more hands-on experience than a lot of other engineering schools, which is a huge bonus when looking for jobs.
What are the biggest obstacles you faced in earning your degree? Motivation. Going through high school you were structured and got into a routine. In college you must have self-motivation to do your work. After the first two years that problem went away. Then came the upper level classes that involved more work and more of a time commitment. Trying to balance school life and social life was hard.
What stands out among your college experiences? The amazing faculty and staff here. Everyone was very helpful and willing to work with students. You never felt like you were asking a dumb question, and they didn’t let you leave until they were sure you understood the problem. The other thing was the hands-on experience that we get here, especially compared to other engineering colleges. That really sets us apart from other schools.
What’s next? I have accepted a full-time position at Walker Stainless Equipment back in my hometown. There we make taker trailers, the ones you see driving down the road; mixing tanks for companies like General Mills and Hershey; as well as stainless silos for companies like Kraft foods. In three or four years I plan to go back for my master’s degree. As of now I’m looking at engineering management from Milwaukee School of Engineering.
###
