Location: Harpster, Ohio
College/University attended: University of Northwestern Ohio
Major: Agricultural equipment technology
Career: Agricultural equipment mechanic
About the farm:
My great-grandfather bought the farm my father manages in the Depression. It has been passed down through my grandfather to my father and hopefully to me. I help out when I can, especially with mechanical failures and spring and fall operations. The farm is around 300 acres and we rent another 300.
Why did you choose University of Northwestern Ohio?
I was drawn to the university because of the many areas it covered, as well as a scholarship I received.
How are you using what you learned in college today?
I work as a mechanic for Burkhart Farm Center mainly working on tractors, compact tractors, and skid loaders made by Case IH. The education I received has put me leaps and bounds ahead of some of the other employees. On the farm it is a great asset to know every inch of a piece of equipment and helps eliminate some of the in-season downtime that can occur.
Advice for students thinking about college:
The best advice I could give to someone looking into going into this field: Even if you have a fundamentally great understanding for mechanics, having a formal education will always get you one step further. Every day I use a small piece of something I learned to figure out new challenges and help prevent costly accidents.
