The best parent advice often comes from parents who have experienced sending their son or daughter to Michigan Tech. We caught up with several parents at a recent spring commencement and asked them to share their advice with you.
Ed Foy's daughter, Michelle, got involved with Michigan Tech early, as a pre-college student in the Women in Engineering youth program. When it came time to choose a university, she found her fit in Tech's environmental engineering program. Ed shares some of Michelle's experiences working with some of the highly active music programs offered in our Department of Visual and Performing Arts. Ed lives in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and holds a degree in business administration from Michigan Tech; he comments on the perception of Michigan Tech graduates employed at companies in the Fox Valley region.
David and Ellen Nelson's son, Scott, graduated from Michigan Tech with a degree in materials science and engineering. Alumni from Evergreen, Colorado, the Nelsons comment on the distance from home and techniques for keeping in touch. They attribute Scott's success, in part, to Michigan Tech's "interesting blend of intense studying and strong spirit," which provided him with lessons in studying and time management.
Henry Nordsiek discusses the caring atmosphere at Michigan Tech. He explains the relationships his son, Hanson, formed with professors and students in the physics program, and how they contributed to his success. Hanson, a Goldwater Scholar recipient, came from a small high school in Glenwood, Colorado, and benefited from visiting campus during Preview Day in March of his senior year.
John and Connie Quinley's daughter, Elizabeth, was looking for a school that offered engineering and snow. She found the perfect fit at Michigan Tech. The Quinleys are from Anchorage, Alaska, and comment on how everything clicked for Liz during her visit to Michigan Tech during her senior year of high school. They discuss how Liz's involvement with Division II Nordic skiing and varsity athletics helped her make friends and get involved with campus activities and student organizations. Connie talks about the quality health care available in the area. Both parents share how Liz gained confidence through international experiences while majoring in civil engineering and earning minors in international Spanish and environmental sustainability and design.
Rob Aho is a Michigan Tech alumnus from Baraga, Michigan. Though home was only 30 miles from campus, his daughter, Anne, chose to live on campus. She got involved right away in campus life, including a number of music organizations. Rob discusses the academics at Michigan Tech and the benefits Anne received through her studies in social sciences.
Aldo Bacaflores came to Michigan Tech from Bolivia as an exchange student. In this father and son interview (in Spanish with English translation), Aldo Sr. shares thoughts about his son's experiences on campus. The pair discusses Tech's clinical laboratory science degree program and hands-on learning opportunities, plus how the welcoming campus community and family atmosphere put Señor Bacaflores at ease and helped Aldo enjoy a rewarding college experience.