- Name:
- Errol D. Gelhaar
- Major:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Minor:
- Business
- Year:
- Senior
- Home:
- Jackson, Wisconsin
I chose to attend UWP because of the college's reputation for graduating well rounded and respected engineers. The classes that are taken in the first two to three years here in the program are designed with a wide base to allow for discovery of what type of engineering the student would actually like to focus on. Once the basics are covered and the student decides to choose a direction in the engineering field there are many different senior electives offered for a number of different specializations. It was also very important to me that the class sizes here are quite small compared to most other universities and that all of the classes are taught by actual professors and not by a Teaching Assistants.
I also enjoy the small town attitude around the university and am proud to be very involved in the community. I am a member of Habitat for Humanity. I am also the co-chair for their float (for the Homecoming Parade). We are currently designing a permanent float to be used by both the campus and Grant County chapters.
In my years here at UWP, I have been able to challenge myself in the engineering and business programs as well as outside of them. I have been a member of numerous campus organizations and that has also made a significant impact on my studies. I have held offices in five different university organizations and have gained critical experience in leading and managing both people and time. In the college environment your parents cannot chase you around and make sure that you are doing what you should be doing. Being involved in both your major and other organizations at the same time affords a person invaluable knowledge, skill and personal awareness of strengths and weaknesses that are imperative to being successful in life after college.
These skills have assisted me in the real world already where I have completed an internship at the Martin Peterson Co., a major mechanical contractor in southeast Wisconsin. The skills I gained here were instrumental in my design of mechanical systems.