Fall 2020
Bell Meets World (Now Accepting International Students!)One of the goals for the Bell program has always been to make the world a better place than we found it. We do this as engineers by adding economic and social value through our designs and innovations. With two exciting firsts, Bell is now adding value internationally.
This January, cohort 2 student Jordan Ledbetter (Red Rocks Community College) starts a year-long co-op at Delmic in Delft, Netherlands. Delmic makes light and electron microscopy systems and cathodoluminescence detection systems and modules used by a wide range of companies around the world. Jordan will spend time working across all of the areas of the firm, including mentoring from the CEO in Jordan’s focus area of engineering management. |
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The unique features of our degree program, such as continued technical, design, and professionalism learning while on co-op, our fantastic learning coaches, and meeting in virtual rooms, mean that Jordan will keep on track for graduation while he works, studies, and learns abroad. We are excited for Jordan and this opportunity for international success.
In our second international first, Minnesota State University, Mankato, programs located at our partner site Mesabi Range College have been approved by the U.S. state department to accept international students. We, and our colleagues across the building in the Iron Range Engineering Upper Division program, are thrilled that we can now recruit and accept student engineers no matter where they are from.
In our second international first, Minnesota State University, Mankato, programs located at our partner site Mesabi Range College have been approved by the U.S. state department to accept international students. We, and our colleagues across the building in the Iron Range Engineering Upper Division program, are thrilled that we can now recruit and accept student engineers no matter where they are from.
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What Current Students are Up toAs the Bell Program is designed for student engineers to work worldwide for the remaining four semesters of their engineering education, mentorship groups are just one way for our student body to stay connected with each other. Each group consists of 2-4 members of each cohort to share experiences and help guide each other in job search, exam preparation, internship/co-op preparation, and much more. Mentorship groups are led by the students and they meet at least once a month in the evenings or on weekends. Each group is given 2-3 topics to discuss each month.
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As stated by one of our cohort 1 student engineering mentors, "The group met to discuss the topics we were given last month, including the reason for each person pursuing an engineering education and telling a STARV story about a time when we had a disagreement or conflict with someone and how we handled it. We laughed and shared some additional experiences and answered a few questions about job hunting and resume tailoring before calling it an evening."
Future Student UpdateOne question we see a lot is, “How is Bell adjusting to this pandemic?” With the world in a flexible state, the Bell Program has needed to adjust how we are passing on the word about the program. In previous semesters you may have seen or heard one of the facilitators visit your college with an invitation to our Bell Experiences. With COVID-19 impacting the world, we had to modify these experiences into something that could be done virtually versus in person.
Throughout the semester, the facilitators have been virtually visiting community colleges and presenting information on Bell. Until we can see you again face to face, we would love to introduce you to our virtual campus visits. |
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This experience is an opportunity for student engineers worldwide to virtually visit the Bell Program campus, meet faculty and staff, and ask questions using the Zoom platform. We have several different time slots available for you to attend, and we encourage you to bring your family, friends, and loved ones (including pets)!
Although we miss being able to invite you to an in-person experience, we are adjusting to the state of the world, and we hope that we can return to the usual Bell Experience model in the near future.
Although we miss being able to invite you to an in-person experience, we are adjusting to the state of the world, and we hope that we can return to the usual Bell Experience model in the near future.
Industry Partners
On August 27, 2020 the Bell Program staff conducted their second virtual career fair. A total of thirty-two companies and fifty-three students attended. To date, ten students have been hired as a result of the career fair, while others are still in the interview process. These positions are located across the county.
Kerry Miller of Integrity Grading & Excavating, Inc. said, “This was the first virtual job fair I have attended and I was so impressed that I was able to meet and interview seventeen students over the course of an afternoon. The timing and transitions from student to student were extremely well executed! The entire process was made to appear as though they had been doing this for years. Everything was very well executed! I would absolutely sign up for the next virtual job fair!”
The virtual career fair flow is a simple idea. The companies choose if they want to participate in either the morning session, the afternoon session, or both. The students gave a presentation for the first fifteen minutes of the session then the representatives were moved to individual breakout rooms. Once in a breakout room, the company representative remained here for the entirety of the session. The students were cycled through every ten minutes allowing the company to visit with fifteen to seventeen students over the course of a few hours.
Over sixty percent of the companies that responded to the post career fair survey had not participated in a virtual career fair in the past. Companies appreciated the chance to have one-on-one conversations with students. Companies also commented on the ease of participation. One representative noted, “It was very easy for attendees to manage- they pretty much just had to show up.”
The virtual career fair is a demonstration of how the Bell Program strives to be a difference maker in engineering education. Part of the reason for the existence of the Bell Program is to close the gap between industry and engineering education. The co-op portion of the program is an important piece as it ties the learning to the real world through application.
“The Bell Program is aspiring to be something extraordinary. The program's invested value in its students rings through during interactions with them. Bell's new approach to education creates opportunities for talented individuals in a way that allows them to find and pursue their best. At Bell, they are not only creating value for their students, but they are also getting it right for industry. These are the types of initiatives that help shape our future by creating an invested and balanced world.” Jason Johnson of Nol-Tec Systems, Inc.
The Bell hosts the virtual career fair in hopes of allowing sufficient networking between companies and students. There is still room for improvement, but Tiffanie Page, a junior in the Bell Program states, “The Bell Program does an excellent job at growing through tough times. I know of no other virtual career fairs, especially one that goes off so smoothly. Even during a pandemic, I still feel that I am able to grow my connections in industry and find a company that aligns with my values and ethics.”
To continue to offer networking opportunities, the Bell Program is now offering a Flex Model virtual career fair any time of year. This allows a company to select any date and time that works best for them to meet the Bell students. A company can choose to give a presentation, meet with a group of students, or meet with students one-on-one. If you or your company are interested, sign up here.
Kerry Miller of Integrity Grading & Excavating, Inc. said, “This was the first virtual job fair I have attended and I was so impressed that I was able to meet and interview seventeen students over the course of an afternoon. The timing and transitions from student to student were extremely well executed! The entire process was made to appear as though they had been doing this for years. Everything was very well executed! I would absolutely sign up for the next virtual job fair!”
The virtual career fair flow is a simple idea. The companies choose if they want to participate in either the morning session, the afternoon session, or both. The students gave a presentation for the first fifteen minutes of the session then the representatives were moved to individual breakout rooms. Once in a breakout room, the company representative remained here for the entirety of the session. The students were cycled through every ten minutes allowing the company to visit with fifteen to seventeen students over the course of a few hours.
Over sixty percent of the companies that responded to the post career fair survey had not participated in a virtual career fair in the past. Companies appreciated the chance to have one-on-one conversations with students. Companies also commented on the ease of participation. One representative noted, “It was very easy for attendees to manage- they pretty much just had to show up.”
The virtual career fair is a demonstration of how the Bell Program strives to be a difference maker in engineering education. Part of the reason for the existence of the Bell Program is to close the gap between industry and engineering education. The co-op portion of the program is an important piece as it ties the learning to the real world through application.
“The Bell Program is aspiring to be something extraordinary. The program's invested value in its students rings through during interactions with them. Bell's new approach to education creates opportunities for talented individuals in a way that allows them to find and pursue their best. At Bell, they are not only creating value for their students, but they are also getting it right for industry. These are the types of initiatives that help shape our future by creating an invested and balanced world.” Jason Johnson of Nol-Tec Systems, Inc.
The Bell hosts the virtual career fair in hopes of allowing sufficient networking between companies and students. There is still room for improvement, but Tiffanie Page, a junior in the Bell Program states, “The Bell Program does an excellent job at growing through tough times. I know of no other virtual career fairs, especially one that goes off so smoothly. Even during a pandemic, I still feel that I am able to grow my connections in industry and find a company that aligns with my values and ethics.”
To continue to offer networking opportunities, the Bell Program is now offering a Flex Model virtual career fair any time of year. This allows a company to select any date and time that works best for them to meet the Bell students. A company can choose to give a presentation, meet with a group of students, or meet with students one-on-one. If you or your company are interested, sign up here.
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Student Highlight: Ashlie PolancoTell us a little about yourself.
I am originally from the Dominican Republic and I've been in the United States for a little more than 4 years now. While part of my family is still in the DR, the other part lives in the state of Virginia, where I completed my associate's degree. My goal is to become a Civil Engineer, I want to work on the construction site. Unlike most of my classmates here at Bell program, I did not always kn0w I wanted to do civil engineering when I finish my high school education I was going to study Marketing in the public university of my home country, however, I had the opportunity to work with a nonprofit organization, TECHO, building houses for people who live in extreme poverty. TECHO gave me the opportunity of having these practical experiences where I was involving community service and engineering skills. I believe that these experiences shaped my mind and let me into a more community-driven purpose in my professional career. Why did you choose to come to the Bell Program? I chose to come to the Bell Program because of the broad and practical learning experience they offered. I first heard about the program, when one of the facilitators, Andrew Hanegmon, gave a 10 min talk about the program, and he said "Imagine being able to get your degree in engineering while working on your area?." For me, it sounded too good to be true! Then I signed up for the Bell Experience, where I was exposed to their engineering educational model and I loved it. I honestly was feeling a little disappointed at that time about the school, I needed a job, but I also needed to study! After knowing about the Bell Program, I realized that it was the opportunity I needed to achieve my goal. |
What has been your favorite part of Bell Academy?
Probably how the Bell Program is constantly taking me out of my comfort zone. Here, we are exposed to different areas of the engineering profession like communication skills, public speaking, design projects, etc. Also, the fact everything here is community-oriented rather than a competitive environment with each other, it's a quality that not all engineering programs have.
Something that I liked after my Bell Experience, was the fact that everything that was done at Bell had a purpose, a vision: from the classes to the Bell ringing, everything has a meaning.
What are three things you have learned since joining the Bell Program?
Ask questions! Probably this would represent the most important thing that I have learned so far, as part of my formation as a student, asking questions would not was never perceived as a good thing to do, and maybe this has something to do with my background or maybe the way I was educated but I love the way here everyone is encouraged to have to ask questions.
Also, I have learned that we are more capable of doing things than what we think we are, it is ok to have our doubts, and actually, the impostor syndrome is more common than what is expected, but still, there is a support system at Bell ready to help.
And a lesson that was hard to learn was that failing is ok. We do not always have to get it right or perfect, because there is always room for improvement.
What kind of engineer do you want to be?
I want to be a Civil Engineer. I think that as an engineer who wants to change the world, this gives me the technical skills to do so, and by doing that I can change the reality that we live in. Maybe building a bridge, or fixing a road, or coming up with a solution for a water treatment process that can deliver water to communities that do not have access to it, you name it! I think civil engineering is the actual area of engineering that can let me be part of a big change.
What other comments do you have about your experience?
In this journey of becoming an engineer I have changed my major a couple of times, probably I should have had already gotten my degree from another school, maybe I should already be working in the field with a civil engineering degree, but I think that none of that happened because I was meant to be here now, I was meant to be person engineer in the professional aspects not only the technical aspects. I chose to be a pioneer of this program, and I do not have a bit of regret.
Probably how the Bell Program is constantly taking me out of my comfort zone. Here, we are exposed to different areas of the engineering profession like communication skills, public speaking, design projects, etc. Also, the fact everything here is community-oriented rather than a competitive environment with each other, it's a quality that not all engineering programs have.
Something that I liked after my Bell Experience, was the fact that everything that was done at Bell had a purpose, a vision: from the classes to the Bell ringing, everything has a meaning.
What are three things you have learned since joining the Bell Program?
Ask questions! Probably this would represent the most important thing that I have learned so far, as part of my formation as a student, asking questions would not was never perceived as a good thing to do, and maybe this has something to do with my background or maybe the way I was educated but I love the way here everyone is encouraged to have to ask questions.
Also, I have learned that we are more capable of doing things than what we think we are, it is ok to have our doubts, and actually, the impostor syndrome is more common than what is expected, but still, there is a support system at Bell ready to help.
And a lesson that was hard to learn was that failing is ok. We do not always have to get it right or perfect, because there is always room for improvement.
What kind of engineer do you want to be?
I want to be a Civil Engineer. I think that as an engineer who wants to change the world, this gives me the technical skills to do so, and by doing that I can change the reality that we live in. Maybe building a bridge, or fixing a road, or coming up with a solution for a water treatment process that can deliver water to communities that do not have access to it, you name it! I think civil engineering is the actual area of engineering that can let me be part of a big change.
What other comments do you have about your experience?
In this journey of becoming an engineer I have changed my major a couple of times, probably I should have had already gotten my degree from another school, maybe I should already be working in the field with a civil engineering degree, but I think that none of that happened because I was meant to be here now, I was meant to be person engineer in the professional aspects not only the technical aspects. I chose to be a pioneer of this program, and I do not have a bit of regret.
Staff Highlight: Arynn LorentzWhere are you from?
I am a Minnesotan- you betcha! I am originally from Virginia, Minnesota, and I didn’t grow up very far away from campus. What is your education path? I wanted to be an engineer because I wanted to help people and solve problems to make my community and the world a better place. I started engineering with Itasca Community College at Iron Range Engineering (IRE) and moved into finishing my last two years through Minnesota State University, Mankato at IRE. What work experience do you have? Throughout my education, I had two co-ops and one full-time job. My first co-op was with the Bell Program, helping develop the first semester, the Bell Academy, and other program aspects. My second co-op was at an iron foundry plant called Metal Technologies. I was hired as a quality engineer to design improvements to their processes and focus on customers' material testing. Finally, I took a semester off school to accept an Engineering Marketer position through Iron Range Engineering. I had the opportunity to travel across Minnesota, giving presentations on what engineering is, inviting students to visit our campus, and participating in the #Night for women in high school. When I graduated, I knew that I wanted to be back with the Bell team as a facilitator! |
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Why did you choose Bell?
I chose Bell for many reasons. When I first heard of the program, the vision of students getting two years of industry experience and becoming the engineers they want to be met my goal of being an engineer to help people. Every day I get to show up and help support students through their education and develop their skills as an engineer to change the world through their careers.
What is your opinion on the quality of Bell students?
I have many great things I could say about our students. I have noticed three qualities that speak to all students: their creativity, leadership, and hardworking mindset.
These students are a part of an initial semester filled with workshops, courses, and events to help develop their skills to be a successful engineer on co-op. At times this can be an intensive experience, but I have never seen a group so determined, hardworking, and passionate about going through a program with the intent of gaining a life-long learning experience. They show up on time, participate, engage in conversations, and have an overwhelming drive to succeed.
Bell students are coming from all over the country, so the diversity of experiences they bring with is outstanding. The best part is that they share those experiences with others, so their project teams and peers can benefit from them as well. This makes our students great leaders and promotes creativity at every turn.
Other comments?
We have such a wonderful team here; a family, really. From students to faculty and staff, we all work together to create a positive experience for everyone in Bell. This family is why I show up every day with a passion for my job, and I know that these friendships that I have made will last a lifetime.
I chose Bell for many reasons. When I first heard of the program, the vision of students getting two years of industry experience and becoming the engineers they want to be met my goal of being an engineer to help people. Every day I get to show up and help support students through their education and develop their skills as an engineer to change the world through their careers.
What is your opinion on the quality of Bell students?
I have many great things I could say about our students. I have noticed three qualities that speak to all students: their creativity, leadership, and hardworking mindset.
These students are a part of an initial semester filled with workshops, courses, and events to help develop their skills to be a successful engineer on co-op. At times this can be an intensive experience, but I have never seen a group so determined, hardworking, and passionate about going through a program with the intent of gaining a life-long learning experience. They show up on time, participate, engage in conversations, and have an overwhelming drive to succeed.
Bell students are coming from all over the country, so the diversity of experiences they bring with is outstanding. The best part is that they share those experiences with others, so their project teams and peers can benefit from them as well. This makes our students great leaders and promotes creativity at every turn.
Other comments?
We have such a wonderful team here; a family, really. From students to faculty and staff, we all work together to create a positive experience for everyone in Bell. This family is why I show up every day with a passion for my job, and I know that these friendships that I have made will last a lifetime.
