Helping Students Answer: “What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?”

This article appeared in the June 2025 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.

“What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?”

It’s a question we’ve all been asked — and it’s one students still face today. Finding an answer often takes career exposure through schools, parents, counselors and industry professionals. My mission at MMA is to build sustainable and collaborative relationships between Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, like SME PRIME, and the Michigan manufacturing community I serve.

Partnerships like these are essential to ensure students can confidently answer that question — with careers inside your facilities. As someone with experience in Human Resources at a manufacturing company, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to find talent. By building your brand with students early, you not only address your future workforce needs but also make a lasting, positive impact on your community.

As a new member of MMA’s Workforce Solutions team, I am focused on strengthening partnerships with the west side of Michigan’s SME PRIME schools. The rewards of this work are already visible in places like Grand Rapids Public School’s Innovation High. Their Advanced Manufacturing program is equipped with tabletop Haas mills with controllers, collaborative robot arms, VEX robotics equipment and more. They have an engaged instructor eager to learn, paired with an equally passionate principal committed to seeing the program thrive.

However, when first joining their advisory committee, there was a noticeable gap; a lack of manufacturing presence to guide curriculum discussions, provide work-based learning opportunities or offer facility tours to students. My role is to find manufacturers willing to step up and support the program, the instructor and, most importantly, the students.

I’m excited to share that as of January 2025, MMA has added four employers to Innovation High School’s Advisory Committee: Wolverine Special Tool’s Paul TenBrink, DeWys Metal Solutions’s Kacey Regan, NN Inc.’s Sara Garner and GWS Tool Group’s John Kiffner. They share why they chose to get involved with Innovation High — and why this work matters so much.

Collaborations like this SME PRIME program are a foundation for the manufacturing community to build the pipeline of future employees. Let MMA help you connect to educators and students in your area to help build sustainable CTE programs. Collaborations like this will help students answer what they want to be when they grow up.