Making Headlines
When you make outstanding products, you make news.
At AVNA we truly believe that our people make the difference in what sets us apart as a medical component manufacturing team. For Engineering Week 2023 we sat down to learn more about some of our talented engineers. We asked each of them three questions to gain more insight into why they choose engineering as a career, what has been their biggest challenge, and what has been the greatest personal reward of their career so far. Read below to see what their responses were.
“I always wanted to be involved with the surgical side of medicine and changed career paths from biology to engineering because it was so creative. Having a career in medical manufacturing allows me to be creative and still make an impact in medical and surgical field.”
“As an engineer you are asked to find solutions to uncommon problems most people would give up on immediately. The satisfaction when a problem is finally solved is extremely rewarding. Every time a problem is solved a wealth of knowledge is earned. This growing knowledge turns a good engineer into a great engineer.”
“I love having the knowledge and confidence to build, fix, and create.”
“As a young child, I was introduced to powersports maintenance and repair by my father. After many years of internal combustion engine rebuilding, I needed to understand how these components were designed and manufactured. Pursuing a career in Mechanical Engineering gave me this opportunity.”
“Deploying problem solving strategies that eliminate complex problems in the medical device field.”
“Machine control and automation technology is advancing rapidly, allowing us to design, build, and operate equipment in ways we never thought were possible. ”
“I went to a technical high school to learn drafting because I liked to draw. I started my career in 1980. I was hired as a draftsman & eventually learned design engineering through on the job training.”
“The most challenging thing about being an engineer is starting with a blank piece of paper & creating something brand new.”
“I think its very cool that I get to create something from scratch, see it get built & make parts that help people all over the world.”
“Ever since I was little kid, I was interested in all things mechanical. My father passed away when I was four years old, and I remember having a wagon I wanted to play with but no one to help me assemble it, so I did it myself. Eventually, family came to depend on me to fix anything that broke. We did not have the financial resources to send me to college, so I joined the toolmaker apprenticeship program after a local company visited my high school. After many years as a toolmaker, I took advantage of my company’s tuition reimbursement program to attend night school for mechanical engineering. It was a long journey, but I eventually earned my BS degree.”
“The most challenging thing I’ve run into being an engineer is overcoming the obstacles put in my path. No job runs smoothly without bumps in the road. Things can be running smoothly and then, BAM, something happens and you have to figure out a way to get it back up and running and back on track. All in all, it would be a boring job if everything went according to plan all the time.”
“The thing I love most is watching the project I’m working on develop from a concept into a working process. It gives me such a feeling of immense satisfaction knowing that I created something from scratch and watch as it evolves into a working part. I have always enjoyed building things and fixing things since I was a young boy. It’s great to know that I never lost that part of me even through all my years as an adult.”
“When I was a kid, interest with cars/ trucks/airplanes and building with Legos inspired me to pursue engineering.”
“Accepting and learning from your failures are part of the experience and part of innovation.”
“Knowing that my work is helping to save lives all around the world.”
“Growing up with a fascination for all things mechanical, pursuing a career in engineering was the only logical choice!”
“Whether a problem is complex or simple, the most challenging aspect of engineering is developing the solution!”
“I have been in manufacturing for almost 45 years! I love that the field is ever-changing, always evolving, and constantly challenging the limits of technology. Every day we uncover new questions and develop new solutions. Engineers have shaped the way we have evolved as well. Bottom line, the field is limitless, and the opportunities are infinite.”
“I chose to be an Engineer because I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps. My father is a Materials Engineer and from a young age, he taught me to think-outside-the-box in all types of challenges that I face – both in school and life. This way of thinking allowed me to excel in the subjects of math and chemistry in school and pushed me to study and graduate Cum Laude with a Chemical Engineering degree. While I currently pursue my career in the Quality Engineering field, I would not trade my experience nor journey because it has made me the person and professional I am today. Thank you dad!”
“What I love most about being an Engineer is the ability to create products that save lives. Working in the medical device industry, I am involved in creating components that go into high technology medical equipment that are used to diagnose and/or treat health problems. Being part of this journey is truly rewarding!”
