Morgan Bartholomew

The second I stepped foot on campus, I knew it was my new home. I had visited many campuses in the past when going through college tours for my brother and even looking at some for myself. Penn College just felt different. When going through the tours for the specific majors, it was heartwarming to see that you can create a bond with your professor and classmates, and even work directly with your professor. When I learned within the first week (or even day) of being in class, you’d be in the labs working, I was amazed. Most schools don’t have you in the lab until your second or third year. I've always been somebody who wants to learn something hands-on and knowing that I wouldn't have to wait a year or two was a deciding factor.

Touring at Penn College is definitely what helped me decide I wanted to go into the field of plastics and polymers. I think hearing that the opportunities are endless in this career path and that you can spread your wings in all directions and still find something was a really relieving feeling. Also just seeing how passionate the professors are and how they truly want us to succeed and make a difference, feels amazing. Just being able to know that I could go to work and create something new or better than something that's already out in the world is awesome.

The fact that I can go into the lab or work every day and create something new or work to better a process is exciting. When you look at the world today almost everything has some sort of plastic component to it. I love being able to be out in public and notice these things that maybe I might not have before entering the field. It's exciting that I can also spread my wings in all directions. One day I could be creating kids’ toys and the next day I could be working on a life-changing medical device.

I think by helping show the world that there's more to plastics than environmental harm, and that there are ways to change that. One goal I have is to be able to make processes energy efficient and to help limit the footprint that plastic processing has.

I would tell them to really come to this college! Any professor, regardless of the major, truly wants the best for every student, and their end goal is to see us succeed. Also, the fact that the job placement after graduation is so high, is such a relieving feeling. I also appreciate that in your first couple of days, you’ll already be creating and making things. Another thing I would point out is the fact that since it is a smaller college, you get to know a lot of people. I met some of my best friends here!

Penn College has helped me design the career of my dreams by giving me the opportunity to work with amazing staff and equipment. It is always a great feeling when you speak with industry professionals, and they praise our college and our graduates. We truly learn so much, and having the hands-on experience is a game-changer in industry. I am thankful for all who have invested in my Penn College experience - for pushing me to get outside my comfort zone and explore and for believing in me inside and outside the classroom.

One of the things that I am enjoying most about my new position as a manufacturing and process development engineer (rotational) for TE Connectivity would be the amount of knowledge that I have gained so far, which is allowing me to grow as a professional engineer! I have been exposed to many different projects and worked with so many individuals. This has allowed me to absorb knowledge from different employees with many different backgrounds and knowledge; both from within the organization, as well as outside of the organization. With my current role being rotational, something new will always be on the horizon, as I will be me starting my next rotation in the new year! The amount of knowledge I have gained in my first few months of this first rotation makes me even more excited to see what the future holds throughout my next three rotations and years after!

Every day I am using critical thinking and problem solving to work on different engineering projects. Most all of my courses at Penn College incorporated some form of problem solving, so using these skills allows projects and tasks to flow smoothly and efficiently. Another important skill set I attained at Penn College is collaboration and leadership skills. Every day I am working with a different individual or team of individuals. Penn College gave me the opportunity to work with many different individuals inside and outside of the classroom and helped me become more comfortable working with varying personalities, as well as not being afraid to ask for help when it is needed. The leadership skills I gained from Penn College have allowed me to take initiative on projects and lead my team through different projects and tasks! Many technical skills I attained from Penn College have allowed me to feel comfortable working on equipment, and having the hands-on knowledge and technical skills has made understanding and working on tasks more clear. Overall, the concepts and skills gained at Penn College have allowed me to become an effective leader and technical worker and have strengthened my confidence as a professional engineer!

I have been part of many different projects so far! All very exciting new things that allow me to continue to learn and understand more about engineering and the company. Some of the projects that I have worked on are creating different standard work instructions for production and operating, reducing scrap and increasing regrind to help with cost savings within the plant. I also have assisted during the start of a new production line at the site! The production line is using a liquid silicone rubber material, so this has been a different world to work on compared to traditional polymer materials. I have been able to learn so much about the process and have been able to see the behind-the-scenes of production startup! Other tasks include working with vendors to receive quotes for equipment and keeping up with production documentation to ensure that production is running organized and accurately. With my role being a rotational engineer, over the next couple of years, every six months will provide me with new and exciting opportunities as I start each new rotation!