Valuable Learning Outside the Classroom

College degrees are valuable, but degrees that include experiential learning opportunities for students can be priceless; here is an example.

On January 3, 2024, a student in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was invited to tour a high-tech business in Muskegon, Michigan to experience firsthand how industrial technologies create products. The student’s invitation was made possible with a collaborative effort between Michigan Technological University (MTU), Northern Michigan University (NMU) and InvestUP, a private sector-led economic development organization.

Nate Yenor (MTU), Corinne Bodeman (NMU) and InvestUP joined enthusiastic students with experienced university faculty and staff to boost economic growth in the Upper Peninsula. They created a student Entrepreneurial Fellows Program that would apply the well-defined Customer Discovery process developed by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to identify and solve problems for regional businesses.

Business owner David Shonnard presented the Fellows Program with a problem for Resurgence Innovations, a company he founded to commercialize research he developed while a faculty member at MTU. He wanted to find a way to keep mixed plastic municipal solid waste out of landfills by creating a product or service that people would purchase.

With InvestUP funding, Yenor and Bodeman hired students for the Fellows Program and assigned students to Shonnard’s project. They were tasked with 1) Increasing the understanding of current business technologies, needs, and practices and 2) Identifying potential customers for the business’ solution.

Josh Lewandowski, a senior studying Public Relations and Business Administration at NMU was exploring if plastic waste could be turned into wax for making other products. Lewandowski contacted Paramelt, a global leader with more than 125 years of experience in formulating specialty waxes, adhesives, and dispersions.

Accepting Paramelt’s generous invitation for a tour of their facility, Lewandowski and his team traveled to meet with the Paramelt team at their Muskegon location. The Resurgence Innovations’ team left with a deeper knowledge of the expected properties of wax products for industrial use, which will help guide them with their future technological development.

Lewandowski gained a first-hand account of how high-tech equipment is used in the manufacturing process as well as an expanded professional network of industry experts; a widely valued tool for a college student who will soon graduate and seek employment.

Yenor said “I have worked with students from multiple universities, and I don’t know any other group that has this type of program for students, especially one that works with university-based technology.” Students like Lewandowski who are exposed to these types of educational opportunities can develop entrepreneurial mindsets, critical thinking skills, and the ability to identify innovative solutions.

“I truly cannot attach a value to what I have gained from this program, and I can't thank my peers enough for the opportunity,” said Lewandowski.? “Sure, you can learn a lot from studying the book but what really solidifies things is getting out there and applying what you've learned.”

His advice to students? “Don't fear uncertainty, embrace the opportunity! Go ask a lot of questions, take more notes than needed, and continue to push yourself to learn as much as you can. The Student Fellows Program has been great for this."

While it is difficult to calculate the value of these skills, they will be priceless to college graduates in the future as they form relationships with the individuals they meet, explore career choices, and engage with their communities. These young people are poised to lead and well-prepared to make positive contributions to the world in which they live. How do you put a price on that?