Charles Wagner

Background

About Charles Wagner

Post High School I attended ALERT Academy for 2 years. While I was there, I was challenged and humbled to grow. Not only in the tangible skills that I left with in the numerous certifications but in the multiple leadership positions, some I was ready for others I was debatably ready for. ALERT provide a secure place to try, grow and fail in many areas, through those failed challenges I matured. I found my strengths and weaknesses, and ways to compensate while encouraging those that were on the team. After ALERT I chose to pursue engineering at Stephen F Austin State University. Through my time at here I have continually been challenged to learn and relearn what it means to study effectively. Further, to work with other students and build fruitful relationship with faculty where we are challenged to learn. I have greatly enjoyed the challenge of college in expanding my knowledge and connecting the dots between classes. Through out my college career I have had several internship opportunities, each in there own right interesting. My freshman semester I worked with a local bio-mass power plant. There I gained tons of knowledge in what an industrial setting is like and what it means to design something so that people can repair it. I loved going from zero knowledge of power generation to a fairly deep understanding of the plant and many of the intricate details. Truly this was because I never stopped asking questions and the operators who answered my questions and gave me manuals to read. Later I worked for a sheet metal manufacturing plant, there I learned how to creatively and effectively use SOLIDWORKS tools to model products and how to effectively reproduce a product accurately. These included airplane components, custom knives, and other industrial parts. In my senior year, I worked with Parker EPS as a Product design intern and Manufacturing Intern. I was given projects that challenged my ability to problem solve while working on R&D projects. As a Manufacturing Intern I was involved with numerous projects relating to ergonomics, safety and manufacturing processes. I was also introduced to Lean Manufacturing principles and some Six Sigma concepts.