“Coming out of high school I really had no idea what I wanted to do for my future. Almost everyone I knew was going to college as that was the expected norm. I had my doubts but also knew I did not want to stock shelves at the local grocery store for the rest of my life. There was very little guidance available at my high school. I finished very near the top of my class, and it was just assumed my next step was off to college. I reluctantly decided to attend MSOE with mechanical engineering in mind. But I quickly learned I was not prepared nor wanted to work full time and go to college full time while commuting from home and amass the impending debt.
So here I am at 18, financially responsible for myself, and completely lost. I am now working at the grocery store and taking a couple of general education classes at the local UW extension college and trying to figure my life out. I ran into a friend of mine who told me about this shop he worked at when he was home from college. I had many perceived notions about shops and manufacturing. I quickly reminded him I did not take any of those classes in high school. Thankfully he convinced me that none of that mattered, and I really need to see this in person. So, I visited him one night while he was working. It was literally life changing. I had no idea any technology like this existed. It was nothing like what I had pictured in my head. I quickly applied and was hired shortly after. I have now been with Xact Wire for nearly 35 years. They took a chance on a shy kid with no direction and gave me all the opportunities to make it into a career.
This is why I am passionate about manufacturing and joined the MPC. I see myself in several of the students we meet. I know what they are going through and what they are probably thinking manufacturing is. I’m honored to co-lead the CAD (Career Awareness and Discovery) Team with Tim Essington. It is a way for me to pay it forward by helping explain to the educators and manufacturers alike that misconceptions are still there, shop tours really do work, and there is hidden talent out there.”
Jason Mueller, Division Manager, XACT Wire EDM