Alumni

Dylan Otis

Heavy Equipment Operations

He was initially drawn to Penn College for the hands-on learning. But it didn’t take long for the Heavy Construction Equipment major to make himself at home. Dylan was a respected athlete, wrestling team captain, and two-time All-American. He also volunteered across campus and within the community, lending a hand with the Special Olympics, Food Bank, and as a volunteer firefighter. He even earned time in the spotlight as student speaker during his commencement ceremony. All the experiences he had and skills he learned serve him today in his career as a heavy construction equipment technician.

Leading the Way

Q&A with Dylan

WHY DO YOU THIINK PENN COLLEGE GRADUATES ARE IN DEMAND?

Penn College students are sought after so much because of the hands-on experiences they are exposed to during their education. Along with this, the relationships they get to make prior to jobs helps tremendously.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY ON THE JOB LOOK LIKE?

A typical day on the job is clocking in at 7 a.m. Log onto the dealer network and look to see what new work orders have been assigned to me from our customer machines and such. Then take a look at our outgoing rental equipment board and see if it is pretty packed or not. If the rental board is booked up, I will work on checking in rental equipment to make sure it is serviced, greased and ready to go and that nothing is mechanically wrong. If the board is slow, I will move to my other work orders and see what I have for parts and try to fix down rental machines or customers' machines. Then, when the clock hits 5:30, it's time to lock the toolbox and go home!

HOW DID YOU BENEFIT FROM LEARNING IN SMALL CLASSES?

The small class size benefited me, because you can actually build a bond with most, if not all, classmates and build a very good, much-needed bond with your teacher. When help is needed, it is much easier because of the small size and the bond you have built, so you are not afraid to ask for help.

HOW DID YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN ATHLETICS ADD TO YOUR EDUCATION?

Athletics added to my education in great ways, especially organization and time-management skills. There's definitely a parallel between victory on the mat and the workplace because, on the mat, I challenged myself every day to be better and to strive further and be a perfectionist and if I didn't do this, I would not achieve victory. I take this same attitude to the workplace every day. I never want to be content because that's when you quit succeeding.

IN YOUR OPINION, HOW IS PENN COLLEGE UNIQUE?

Penn College is unique because of the hands-on learning you get in a great learning environment, but also because of the relationships you make with teachers formerly in your field, many potential employers and other students.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES TO LEARNING ABOUT HEAVY EQUIPMENT AT PENN COLLEGE?

The biggest advantages to learning about heavy equipment at Penn College is most, if not all, instructors have worked and have tremendous knowledge and experience in the field. Also the equipment, tools, engines, etc., are things we learned on every day and now is the same stuff we use in the field of heavy equipment.

Awards

Honored as Athlete of the Year

When it came time to select the Male Athlete of the Year in 2019, the decision was clear. Dylan proved himself worthy on the mat and in the community.

His coach Jamie Miller commented, “For the past two years, Dylan has been the centerpiece of Penn College wrestling. When off-season and individual workouts need to be supervised, Dylan has been responsible. When fundraising projects, community service, and study halls needed to be organized, Dylan was our boots on the ground to get the troops rallied. When our athletes had questions, concerns or challenges, Dylan was the teammate they sought out to work through their issues."

Programs

Heavy Equipment Operations

Take the driver’s seat in this comprehensive program. Train to become a heavy equipment operator and you'll dig into everything from tools, hardware, and safety to site engineering and layout.

Explore the program