“I came to Ivy Tech because I wanted to have some hands-on experience…”

Daniel Sailor is getting a head start on his success. A full-time high school student, Daniel is also a student in the Machine Tool Technology program at Ivy Tech’s Warsaw campus.

Like many other teens, Daniel’s priorities include excelling in school, participating in extracurriculars and spending time with friends. The 16-year-old does all of that, but he also has made his future career a priority. Interested in computer programming, robotics and mechanical engineering, Daniel already has set his sights on a career in the manufacturing field. And it’s Ivy Tech that is helping him accomplish that goal.

“From talking with engineers in the manufacturing field, some employers are looking for that understanding that comes with hands-on experience,” Daniel said. “The classes at Ivy Tech are giving me that.”

Some engineering programs jump right into design without teaching the basics of machining, but it’s those fundamentals that drew Daniel to Ivy Tech. “Ivy Tech gives me an understanding of the basic processes that are at the heart of mechanical engineering, an area that traditional engineering schools don’t cover,” he said.

The teen has already completed his first college-level course in machining and earned two National Institute of Metalworking Skills certificates. He plans to continue courses in machining and, to no surprise, pursue an engineering degree after high school.