Two Vermont Technical College engineering students were recently honored by the college. Emmanuel (Manny) Aretakis and Bethany Bosh were awarded Student Engineer of the Year and Student Engineering Technician of the year, respectively. They will be recognized at a Vermont Society of Professional Engineers event on February 23rd at the Double Tree Hotel in South Burlington. Vermont Tech selects these exceptional students based on academic excellence, professionalism, character, communication, and leadership skills.
Aretakis is a fourth year Manufacturing Engineering Technology student from Eastern Maine with a background in farming, forestry, firefighting, welding, and carpentry. Artekais came to Vermont Tech looking for a practical education that suited his personal interests and abilities.
He recalls his fourth semester capstone project when he and three others teamed up to build a new piece of farm equipment for a local client this way, “This was my first real exposure to engineering outside the classroom. Given some rough criteria and a budget, we were to design and build a multipurpose livestock carrier that would mount to the three-point hitch of a tractor,” he says. The livestock carrier was for a local farmer in Chelsea, Vermont who was once an engineering student himself at Vermont Tech. Aretakis adds, “We quickly learned the value of teamwork, effectively delegating tasks and scheduling common meeting times that worked for all members of our group. Sharing the workload allowed each member to contribute their most proficient skills to the project.”
Aretakis also says, “Vermont Tech has provided me with an education that leaves me feeling very well prepared to enter the workforce. My capacity to analyze, evaluate and problem solve any number of engineering challenges will be an asset to any future employer. My time here has not been easy; there has been a lot of hard work and many late nights. I am privileged, however, to have had excellent relations with all of my teachers, and I’m grateful to have had peers as interested in engineering as I am. They’ve been a constant motivator and source of friendship throughout my time here. I’m grateful to have gotten an education at Vermont Tech that I’m proud of and that I know will serve me well no matter where I go in life.” Aretakis has been on Vermont Tech’s honors lists most semesters of his college career.
Aretakis anticipates graduating this May with a minor in Entrepreneurship in addition to his manufacturing degree.
Bethany Bosch also expects to graduate this May, but with a degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering Technology. Bosch has experienced a wide variety of paths, including being a licensed pilot and successfully swimming across the English Channel. Bosch knows that her purpose in life is to do “good.” She wants to make the world better for her family, friends and her community. She gathered inspiration from coworkers about what to do next.
“Sometimes you’re in the right place at the right time, but then you have to make yourself the right person,” says Bosch. “I had already fallen in love with transportation and the way it empowers society and culture and growth and economy. I found a passion for Civil Engineering. I couldn’t learn enough about my new found career and threw myself into getting as many certifications and work experiences as I could.”
Bosch goes on to say, “Along the way, I paid attention to my co-workers. I met so many engineers. I was so astounded by their knowledge. They always seemed to have all the answers – answers I didn’t have. I asked them where they went to school, what degrees they had, and how they felt about their education and line of work. Time and time again, I found myself most impressed by Vermont Technical College graduates. They worked hard, knew the industry, and talked about their education with respect. Throughout my journey at Vermont Tech, I have not been disappointed. Every class I have taken from Chemistry to Calculus to Structural Design empowers my future. I am a consultant in [the construction industry] and find the application of my education seamless.”
Both Manny Aretakis and Bethany Bosch are outstanding students and represent the community of Vermont Tech through their studies, and wide range of extracurricular activities.
The college also congratulates Jon Mackintosh and Adam Wheeler, two Vermont Tech students who received Vermont Society of Engineers scholarships.