Ever since she was a child, Paige Fischer’s hobbies were playing with Legos and building whatever came into her head.
“I’ve always been interested in fixing and building things; doing anything that is hands on and that will make things better for others,” Fischer said. “I think my parents knew I would be in a hands-on field.”
Fischer drew inspiration from seeing both her dad and grandpa in the field. They were both machinists and then manufacturing engineers.
“Seeing what they accomplished makes me want to follow in their footsteps,” Fischer said.
“When I toured Dunwoody, I saw the amount of hands-on learning they do here. Being here gave me the chance to work in the field while I study. I’ve found a job that aligns with my degrees.”
Fischer earned an Associates in Applied Sciences in the Machine Tool Technology program and went right into her bachelor’s completion in Industrial Engineering Technology. Fischer was able to find work within a year of starting the program. She currently is a Manufacturing Engineering Intern at Tolomatic.
“At my internship I get the opportunity to work on my senior capstone project,” Fischer said. “My project is Extrusion Handling Optimization. Essentially, the machinists are using one material in an area that takes too much time to grab. So, we are making a material handler that picks it up for them.”
Putting her studies to work in the real world, Fischer is motivated by wanting to help others with her skills. Fischer pointed out that having a degree in Machine Tool Technology gives her a better understanding of the entire field.
“My teachers at Dunwoody gave me the tools to succeed,” Fischer said. “Janet Nurnberg has helped me a lot. I was a part of the Women in Technical Careers program and Janet was my mentor. Knowing her made going into the Industrial Engineering Technology program easier for me.”
As she prepares to graduate in May, Fischer sees herself becoming a manufacturing engineer.
“The biggest lessons Dunwoody has taught me comes from the hands-on experience I was given,” Fischer said. “We learn to overcome the challenges and not be stopped by the roadblocks.”