Michigan Tech MET student Patrick Moeller had a co-op at Georgia Pacific last fall, and an internship this past summer at Milwaukee Tool. Both helped him to prepare and decide on his career.
Recently Patrick traveled to Washington DC with three fellow students for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) S-STEM REC Scholars Conference. Their travel and expenses were fully funded by AAAS. The annual event is co-hosted by the National Science Foundation.
“If you’re unsure about applying for college, I challenge you to submit your applications. After all, you may have doors open that you never even knew existed.”
At Michigan Tech, Patrick is part of the Engineering Technology Scholars-IMPRESS Program. “The ETS-IMPRESS scholarship has opened more doors than I possibly could have imagined. This trip is a great example of one of those doors,” he says.
“The thing that stuck with me the most from the conference was when a panelist asked the audience to raise their hand if they had ever felt ‘impostor syndrome’ at some point in their educational career. I was surprised to see almost every scholar in the room raise their hand. This made me realize the feeling of ‘I don’t belong here’ is something that most people will experience in their careers and I was not alone. However, this is actually a good thing because a majority of the time it means you are on the road to success. Feeling the impostor syndrome means that you have challenged yourself enough to be outside of your comfort zone which is the first step in personal and professional development. I felt this way when applying to college. I did not believe that I could be successful and wasn’t sure if college was for me.”
“In high school, I had a few teachers who believed in me and pushed me to go to college. Having this support inspired me to do so. Applying to college can be stressful and intimidating, but it is also one of the most rewarding decisions you can make. The MMET Department is a community of faculty, staff, and scholars who inspire each other to achieve their goals and overcome challenges along the way.”
John Irwin, professor and chair of the MMET Department serves as Patrick’s ETS-IMPRESS faculty mentor. “I would like to give Dr. John Irwin a special thank you for nominating Henry, Logan, Andrew, and me to attend this fantastic networking and professional development event!”
Not a transfer student, but still want info on MMET scholarships and opportunities?
More about ETS IMPRESS
Incoming community college transfer students who plan to major in electrical engineering technology, mechanical engineering technology, computer network and system administration, cybersecurity, or mechatronics are invited to apply for the Engineering Technology Scholars-IMPRESS program. In addition to an annual scholarship, students admitted to the program engage in high-impact curricular and co-curricular activities designed to increase their success.
Students receiving an ETS-IMPRESS scholarship are admitted to the Pavlis Honors College at Michigan Tech, an innovative and inclusive honors program designed around high-impact educational opportunities.
Students selected for the program can receive up to $10,000 per year. Additionally, transfer students who engage in the bridge program will receive a $2,500 stipend for a 7-week research program the summer before their first semester.