Originally from southern Vermont, Dana worked on farms, did roofing, and construction and realized he wanted to get his degree. He chose Vermont Tech because of the high placement rate and the programs offered, plus it wasn’t too far from home. (Learn more about Vermont Tech Ranking #1 for Return on Investment). In 1999, Dana graduated with his Associate in Electrical Engineering Technology.
Dana enjoyed his time at Vermont Tech noting, “Coming to Vermont Tech felt like home. People were down to earth which made the environment open and comfortable.” (Learn more about VTC Student Life). He further stated, “Vermont Tech definitely met my expectations and challenged me where I wanted to be challenged and I really enjoyed the hands-on portion of learning. I liked the curriculum because it focused on what I was interested in, which is engineering.” Dana shared that he really enjoyed the professors because they had real-world experience and different backgrounds in engineering which really helped make the coursework more applicable. (Learn more about VTC’s Faculty and Staff).
Now, Dana was working as a Field Service Engineer at ASML. He explained, “ASML is a leading technology development company for photo lithographic machines. These machines create computer chips so cell phones, computers, and automobiles with chips are manufactured through our company.” Even after 10 years of working there, Dana said he still learns something new daily, which keeps it exciting. Now, as Site Operational Lead, and moving to more of the business side of things, Dana expressed, “once you get into a field doesn’t mean you have to stick with it forever. There are always opportunities to grow, even within the same company.”
Dana’s advice to current and potential students is, “Keep an open mind.” He further explained, “you never know what it’s exactly going to be like, but it’s crucial to have the building blocks from a school like Vermont Tech to be able to walk in and expand. So, once you’re done with College, never stop learning.”
Dana attended the 2022 Career Fair in October at the Randolph Center campus in hopes to recruit Vermont Tech graduates like himself! (Learn more at Career Services).