WYOMISSING, Pa. — Penn State Berks is helping a future generation of engineering students to succeed through the college’s Engineering Ahead Program, which is now in its ninth year. The goal of the four-week summer "bridge" program, which ran from June 30 to July 19, is to increase retention rates among a diverse group of engineering students by enhancing academic preparedness and providing support. 

Aiden Depue of Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, stated how the program has helped him.

“I was really hesitant about attending college due to costs, experience and overall future options," he said. "Not only do I feel prepared, but I see myself in the future as not just a Penn Stater, but as a future engineer. I signed up for this program because it was free, however now that I have finished the summer bridge, I am already thinking about how I can contribute and pay back for the experiences and opportunities it has given me.” 

Ryan Hassler, Engineering Ahead coordinator and teaching professor of mathematics at Penn State Berks, explained the value of the program.

“Engineering jobs are in very high demand, however there are not enough graduates to fill the need," said Hassler. "The problem is two-fold: recruitment and retention. Although nearly 75% of Gen Z students report an interest in STEM, only about 29% are interested in pursuing STEM-related jobs in their future. Out of all the STEM bachelor’s degrees awarded in the United States in 2020, only 26% were awarded to students from underrepresented minorities.”

This year’s 18-student cohort came from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and Illinois. Participants plan to study in various engineering disciplines, including aerospace, biomedical, chemical, computer engineering, computer science, environmental, electro-mechanical and mechanical engineering.

Daily schedules included intensive math “boot camps” focused on pre-calculus, problem-solving exercises, facilitated tutoring sessions, faculty and external speaker presentations and discussion of the course textbook, "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. The program also covers such subjects as the scientific method, technology and career exploration.

“I believe that Engineering Ahead is one of the best college preparatory programs in the country,” stated Chitvat Mahal of Oakton, Virginia. “I have realized that I never learned material in high school, rather I just memorized it. I wanted to do this program because I thought that it would be beneficial, though, I didn't know how much I needed it. Having this program under my belt makes me feel a lot more secure and ready to start college.”

In addition to Hassler, the core Engineering Ahead Program team includes Dawn Pfeifer Reitz, associate teaching professor of communication arts and sciences, and Sonia Delaquito, coordinator of the college’s Learning Center. In total, more than 50 Penn State Berks faculty, staff and alumni supported this year’s program by donating their time and expertise through presentations and talks.

This year, three Berks Engineering Ahead alumni returned to serve as mentors for this year’s program: Jocelyn Espinoza, junior aerospace engineering major, was the senior program resident assistant; Kareem Zok, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, was a mentor; and Mitchel Nevryanskiy, a junior with a dual major in communication arts and sciences and psychology, was a resident assistant. 

Espinoza commented, “I am very thankful that I got the opportunity be a mentor in Engineering Ahead for a second summer. Each summer the program continues to get better and provides even more chances for students to speak to professionals in their field of interest and get to see what an engineering career looks like. I enjoyed every moment of mentoring these students and seeing them strengthen their technical and soft skills.”

Zok added, "Engineering Ahead truly prepares students for their next step, giving them so much invaluable experience, knowledge and friends to start their college experience. Seeing them all develop so quickly, in the span of four weeks, was something special."

The program helps participants to prepare for the rigors of math courses while giving them an opportunity to meet fellow engineering students. They also attend workshops on study skills, time management and career planning, and get to know the campus and the professors. 

Students also heard presentations from prominent Penn State engineering alumni and local community leaders including Melisa Daniels Foster, Penn State alumna and retired chemical engineer with ExxonMobile – Career Development, and John Weidenhammer, president of Weidenhammer Industry.

They also had an opportunity to attend in-person lab presentations on campus and took field trips to tour four local industries: Brentwood Industries in Reading, Reading Carpenter Technology in Reading, SFS Group USA Inc. in Wyomissing and Teleflex in Wyomissing. The students also visited the Berks LaunchBox in Reading and the Happy Valley LaunchBox at the University Park campus.

“Being part of Engineering Ahead at Penn State Berks has helped me develop relationships with fellow engineers as well as a diverse group of faculty members. Along with the friendships I have developed and habits I have begun to form, I have also been exposed to a whole new way of thinking, and learned many concepts that I believe will greatly help me throughout my college experience. After all the tours of engineering involved companies, I can truly see myself working in the engineering field,” stated Jacob Higgins of Oxford, Pennsylvania.

Perhaps even more impactful, students heard from Berks engineering alumni who were part of prior Engineering Ahead cohorts and are currently working in their field, including Gabriela Gonzalez Magana, software engineer at Lockheed Martin; Bryant Warmate, consultant, Boston Consulting Group; Whitney Imoh, senior business analyst with Accenture; and Nathan Bonslaver, founder of CarToCamp.

“Being part of this program showed me what is expected in an actual college class," explained David Ramirez-Garcia of Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania. "I decided to do this program because it was recommended by students who were in the program previously. Some highlights were the site visits which helped me discover industries around us, forming relationships with peers, and having connections to professors before the academic year starts. This program has prepared me for my first year of college by helping me with time management, organization, note taking skills, networking and so much more."

In addition, Engineering Ahead also provides a support system through a first-year seminar where students continue their transition to college as a group, a second semester STEM persistence seminar, and finally, access to the Jump Start Sophomore Bridge Program at University Park campus.

It wasn’t all work and no play for the Engineering Ahead students; they also participated in multiple community service projects. In one project, students sorted food donations for the Helping Harvest Food Bank. For another, they worked with Youth Volunteer Corp (VOICE UP) of Reading fourth through–sixth graders from the Reading Recreation Commission’s Playground summer program to build and race solar-powered cars and participated in an engineering design egg drop competition. They also worked with Kathleen Hauser, assistant teaching professor of engineering, and Roy Thompson, supervisor of mechanical engineering labs, to design and build a rock box and an outdoor mud kitchen, which they installed at an outdoor playscape at Opportunity House, Reading’s emergency shelter. 

“I am thoroughly impressed with this group of 18 first-year engineering students," stated Hassler. "Their enthusiasm, creativity and dedication to their studies are truly inspiring. Despite being at the beginning of their academic journey, they have already demonstrated remarkable problem-solving skills and a strong grasp of engineering principles.

“Their collaborative spirit and eagerness to learn set a solid foundation for their future success. It’s exciting to see such promising talent and potential in these young engineers. These scholars are also incredibly selfless and recognize their role in helping the greater Berks community become a better place to live and learn. In times of uncertainty and unrest in our society, I am encouraged by the commitment that these students have shown to becoming future engineers tasked with solving some of our world’s greatest problems.” 

The experience was summarized by Boluwatife Akindoyin of Owings Mills, Maryland, who said: “It has been a great privilege to be part of this program. I was able to make new friends, meet people who could help me in the future, and be involved in the community. Overall being a part of this program for me was incredible because it not only taught me about learning engineering but how to communicate and use what I’ve learned to help my community. I'm thankful and grateful for the people who donated, gave their time to educate us and to make this a great experience.” 

The Berks Engineering Ahead program received funding this year from Bosch Rexroth, the Boeing Company, the Barnes and Noble Foundation, Harold A. Pfreimer Engineering Outreach and Recruitment Endowment, Penn State Berks Leveraging Innovation and Optimizing Nurturing (LION) STEM Scholars Program, along with numerous alumni and local philanthropic donations.  

Those interested in learning more about how to support the Engineering Ahead Program or who would like more information about the program can contact Hassler at 610-396-6127 or via email at RSH14@psu.edu.