Gateway student Cole Sharp entered his chosen career field before even graduating.
“I’m finishing up the Mechanical Design Technology program right now,” said Cole. “And I already got a job through the reverse career fair that Gateway held a few years ago. I was only halfway through the degree program, and my employer hired me full time back then. So, I’m going to school full time and working full time.”
Cole’s fast track to a great career started well before going to college full time, as High School Academies gave him the chance to earn college credit while still in high school.
“I started with dual enrollment classes while in high school, doing a bunch of STEM classes at the SC Johnson iMET Center. And I noticed many of the courses I was taking were in the Mechanical Design Technology curriculum, so I figured I should get this degree because I’d gotten an eighth of the credits already and Gateway was super affordable,” says Cole.
Hitting the books and getting hands-on experience at Gateway is a winning combination for Cole, as it’s kept his experience at Gateway exciting and ensured he masters the skills he uses on the job every day.
“My major has a really good hands-on part to it. When we learn how hydraulic or pneumatic systems work, they’ll have us plugging in hoses, putting systems together and seeing what they do,” says Cole.
“Gateway’s Mechanical Design Technology program is very broad. It gives you the skills to work on a wide range of systems. Today, I’m using a lot of the things I learned at Gateway in my career – like modeling and other technical skills I need as a designer.”
It isn’t just the curriculum that has fostered Cole’s success at Gateway and his career. Faculty have made a big difference too.
“The faculty were great. They’re always there when I need some extra help. When I shoot them an email, I often get responses back quickly, even if it’s on a weekend. And that’s really nice because I’m doing most of my coursework over the weekend, as I’m working full time Monday through Friday,” says Cole. “It’s a busy schedule to have, but I have those resources to draw on when I need them, which is nice.”
Cole also engaged in Gateway’s student opportunities outside of the classroom – even outside of the continent.
“I was able to study abroad in Australia, and that was great. I got a bunch of hands-on experience. They had a really cool facility out there where we got to see the similarities and differences in the way students are taught across the globe,” says Cole.
“Coming back now, I feel much more comfortable in being in a new environment. And I’ve got some good new habits too, like being really prepared for meetings or projects. I’ve sharpened some social skills too.”