Engineering Ahead bridges gap for incoming students

WYOMISSING, Pa. — Penn State Berks is helping a future generation of engineering students to succeed through the college’s Engineering Ahead Program, which celebrated a decade of success this year. The goal of the four-week summer "bridge" program, which ran from July 7 to Aug. 1, is to increase retention rates among a diverse group of engineering students by enhancing academic preparedness and providing support. 



“Because of Engineering Ahead, I feel extremely confident in my ability to achieve an engineering degree from Penn State,” stated Elizabeth LaBriola of Downingtown, Pennsylvania. “The program has given me plenty of academic preparation and the built-in community of my cohort. The combination makes something otherwise daunting seem exciting.”

Ryan Hassler, Engineering Ahead coordinator and teaching professor of mathematics at Penn State Berks, explained the value of the program.



“Engineering jobs are in unprecedented demand, yet the talent pipeline simply isn’t keeping pace,” said Hassler. “We face a twofold challenge: attracting students to STEM and ensuring they stay the course. Nearly 75% of Gen Z students say they’re interested in STEM, but only about 29% plan to pursue STEM-related careers. Even more concerning, in 2020, just 26% of all STEM bachelor’s degrees in the U.S. were earned by students from underrepresented minority groups. If we want to drive innovation and remain competitive, we must do more to inspire, support and retain the next generation of diverse STEM professionals.”



This year’s 16-student cohort came from Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and Puerto Rico. Participants plan to study in various engineering disciplines, including aerospace, biomedical, civil, computer science, environmental, electrical, electro-mechanical, mechanical and nuclear engineering.



Daily schedules included intensive math “boot camps” focused on pre-calculus, problem-solving exercises, facilitated tutoring sessions, faculty and external speaker presentations and discussion of the course textbook, "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. The program also covers such subjects as undergraduate research and career exploration.



“Being a part of Engineering Ahead has been transformative," said Cameron Livinghouse of Reading, Pennsylvania. "This program not only helped me fix my habits but create new ones through reading ‘Atomic Habits.’ I am eternally grateful to all the mentors and people throughout the program who have helped me set up a path to a successful future, and I have had some of my best memories with the people from my cohort. I will never forget Engineering Ahead and will take a little part of everything I learned with me for life.”



In addition to Hassler, the core Engineering Ahead Program team includes Dawn Pfeifer Reitz, associate teaching professor of communication arts and sciences, and Sonia Delaquito, interim associate director of the college’s newly created Student Success Center and the coordinator of the Learning Center. In total, more than 50 Penn State Berks faculty, staff and alumni supported this year’s program by donating their time and expertise through presentations and talks.



Amelia Knott of Reading, Pennsylvania, explained, “This program gave me many opportunities to learn and grow as a student. I decided to do Engineering Ahead because I wanted to see how college classes compared to high school. This program prepared me for college by introducing me to resources at Penn State that could help me if needed, that I otherwise wouldn't have found as easily.” 



This year, four Berks Engineering Ahead alumni returned to serve as mentors for the program: Alexander Maldonado, junior industrial engineering major, was the senior program resident assistant; Gladys Perez Rodriguez, a sophomore computer science major, was a resident assistant and mentor; Agustin Menjivar, a sophomore chemical engineering major, was a mentor; and Matthias Maftei, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, was a mentor.

“Engineering Ahead creates the perfect environment for both students and mentors to learn from each other," Maldonado said. "The ability to network and find opportunities through this program is second-to-none. The program has produced great students in the past because of its ability to understand students’ needs and meet them. It will continue to produce great students due to the time and commitment that goes through running the program and giving these students the perfect foundation that they need to thrive both in college and in the real world.”



Maftei explained why he wanted to be a mentor.

“The Engineering Ahead program meant a lot to me as a student last year. It benefited me immensely in my transition from high school. Going through the other side of this program as a mentor, it's allowed me to help students realize their full potential. I get to help students with the same struggles and concerns I had when I was in their shoes last year," Maftei said.



Engineering Ahead helps participants to prepare for the rigors of math courses while giving them an opportunity to meet fellow engineering students. They also attend workshops on study skills, time management and career planning, and get to know the campus and the professors. 



Students also heard presentations from prominent Penn State alumni and local community leaders including Melisa Daniels Foster, Penn State alumna and retired chief engineer with ExxonMobile Chemical; and John Weidenhammer, president of Weidenhammer Industry.

Outside the classroom, students had an opportunity to attend in-person lab presentations on campus and took field trips to tour three local industries: Brentwood Industries in Reading, Carpenter Technology in Reading and UGI Utilities Learning Center in Leesport. They also visited the Penn State Berks LaunchBox in Reading and spent a day at the University Park campus networking with faculty, staff and students from the Penn State College of Engineering.



Alexander Gonzalez of Belleville, New Jersey, stated, “If I had to describe Engineering Ahead in one word, it’s definitely ‘networking.’ From the very start, Dr. Hassler brought all 16 of us together in a way that just clicked. None of the activities or group projects would’ve been the same without that connection; we actually wanted to work together and hang out. We got a real taste of college life, met amazing professors, dove into math and engineering, and visited some informative sites. It made all of us want to push ourselves more, learn more, do more, be part of more.”



Perhaps even more impactful, students heard from Berks engineering alumni who were part of prior Engineering Ahead cohorts and are currently working in their field, including Roger Salguero, production manager at Indicon, Bryant Warmate, consultant with Boston Consulting Group; Whitney Imoh, senior business analyst with Accenture; and Nathan Bonslaver, founder of CarToCamp.



In addition, Engineering Ahead also provides a support system through a first-year seminar where students continue their transition to college as a group, a second semester STEM persistence seminar, and finally, access to the Jump Start Sophomore Bridge Program at University Park campus.

It wasn’t all work and no play for the Engineering Ahead students; they also participated in multiple community service projects. In one project, students worked with Youth Volunteer Corp (VOiCEup) of Reading and fourth through sixth graders from the Reading Recreation Commission’s Playground summer program to build and race solar-powered cars and participate in an engineering design egg drop competition.



They also worked together to make Egelman’s Park in Reading more accessible for people who use mobility devices and parents with strollers. The students designed an accessible driving path and parking lot near the pavilion, as well as an accessible pathway connecting the new parking lot to the pavilion’s existing ramp.



“I am incredibly proud of this talented group of 16 first-year engineering students,” said Hassler. “As members of our 10th Engineering Ahead cohort, they bring an impressive level of energy, creativity and commitment to their studies. Even at this early stage in their academic journey, they have shown exceptional problem-solving abilities and a strong understanding of core engineering concepts.



“What sets them apart is their collaborative mindset and genuine passion for learning, which lay the groundwork for their future success," Hassler added. "It’s inspiring to witness such drive and potential in these emerging engineers. Beyond their academic efforts, they demonstrate a deep sense of responsibility to the Berks community, striving to make a positive difference. In challenging times, their dedication gives me great confidence that they will become the kind of engineers who help tackle some of the most pressing issues facing our world.”



Gage Fulmer of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, said, “This program has been one of the most influential experiences of my life. The knowledge I've gained and the experience I've had have pushed me to ask more questions and acknowledge my faults and how to grow into the college life. I can't wait for the beginning of my first semester and to use the lessons I've learned here to push through the beginning of my college career. “



Zoey Mortimer of Hanover, Pennsylvania, added, “Deciding to do Engineering Ahead this summer might've been the most beneficial thing I've done to prepare for college. I have gained so many relationships during these four weeks. I highly recommend any incoming freshmen majoring in engineering to take advantage of this great program.”



The Berks Engineering Ahead program received funding this year from Bosch Rexroth, the Boeing Company, Harold A. Pfreimer Engineering Outreach and Recruitment Endowment, along with numerous alumni and local philanthropic donations.  

Those interested in learning more about Engineering Ahead and how to support the program so it remains free to students can visit the website. They can also contact Hassler at 610-396-6127 or via email at RSH14@psu.edu.