William Schutte knew from an early age that he enjoyed working with his hands: taking things apart, putting them back together, and trying to understand how they work. He attributes this interest in part to his grandfather who welcomed him into his shop and let him work alongside him.
Schutte’s grandfather is a 1956 Dunwoody graduate from Dunwoody’s Machine Tool Technology program – making Schutte a Dunwoody Legacy as he will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering this May. He is also a 2025 Academic Excellence Award recipient.
Schutte attended a small private school through eighth grade before attending Buffalo High School.
“It was a big transition going from a class of 20 students to a class of about 500,” he said.
But Schutte found his niche, due in part to his participation in First Robotics.
“We weren’t the best team, and we weren’t the worst,” he said. “But what was special about our team was that our mentor really let us take control – we were encouraged to come up with our own ideas, explore different options, and work through our failures. You learn a lot through your failures.”
TAKING THE NEXT STEP
Schutte always knew that he wanted engineering to be a part of his future, and he also knew Dunwoody could offer a path to pursue that.
The next step would be tackling the theory.
Senior year in high school Schutte took the opportunity to take college-level courses by attending Dunwoody full-time through the PSEO program. A program that has made it possible for him to graduate with his engineering degree a year early.
“I came to Dunwoody for the education, that’s why we are all here,” he said. “But what I have really enjoyed is the community. We have small class sizes, and professors that are truly different. Their number one priority is your learning, and their message has always been that teaching comes first.”
And he has left an impression.
“I had Will for seven semesters in a row as a student, and he is a student who will dive right in,” said Assistant Professor Peter Walls. “He’s been an asset to the School of Engineering. He’s been involved on the Baja team, he’s been a part of the research team, and he’s always willing to help other students.”
Schutte has also supported the School of Engineering as a student worker, represented the College as a Student Ambassador, and held several internships across different departments with Delta ModTech in Ramsey – where he will be working full-time after graduation.
FINDING BALANCE
Finding balance in the midst of his busy schedule has been very important to Schutte. Family, friends, and faith play a big part in his life, as well as his love for the outdoors: camping, mountain biking, hunting and fishing.
“Learning how to effectively manage my time has been so valuable. You can do a lot if you understand how to use your time and are able to recognize what your priorities are,” he said.
Leading such a well-rounded life has also given Schutte perspective.
“The recognition of the award is nice, but that is not the prize. I’ve enjoyed all of the work along the way,” he said. “I want to keep learning, keep improving, and keep setting new goals.”