Alumni Spotlight: Stephanie Locks-Hartle

Name:  Stephanie Locks-Hartle

 Years attended Seminole State College: 2006 - 2013

 What factors played into you deciding to take classes at Seminole State?
I really had two separate instances when I was taking classes at Seminole State College. The first was when I was in high school doing dual enrollment courses. That allowed me to advance further and faster than I could have had Seminole State classes not been available to me. The second instance was taking summer classes at Seminole State while I was at college in Cornell University. Whereas, each additional course at Cornell was very expensive, Seminole State was something I could afford to get through my electives faster. By my senior year, I could have graduated a semester early, but I used that extra time at Cornell to start my own business. So, had it not been for Seminole State, I wouldn't have been able to get through the classes the way I did and have time to get that great experience my senior year of college.

What was the role that Seminole State played in your educational journey?
A lot of people don't realize that before I got into Cornell, I was taking dual enrollment classes in high school. I believe the real differentiator that Seminole State played was during a follow up to a biology course taught by Dr. Susan Behel. Not only did her Seminole State courses enable me to do college research when I was only in high school, but I also got to compete at the state science fair from my work in Dr. Behel’s class. I think those things were the differentiators that got me into Cornell.  Once there, I studied mechanical and aerospace engineering, graduating in 2014. After graduating from Cornell, I went on to do grad school at Georgia Institute of Technology from 2014 through 2016 and graduated with a master's degree in mechanical engineering, with a focus in manufacturing/metrology.

Where are you now?
Right now, I am at Northrop Grumman. I'm a mechanical systems engineer. I'm really enjoying it.

What is it like being in the Future Technical Leaders program?
It's awesome. It's a very small program that Northrop Grumman has, and what they're really trying to do is get you to have a lot of different technical experience across the company. So even though I'm a mechanical and aerospace engineer by education, I got to try out software development and even a non-technical role for a year. It helps me be more well-rounded in my experiences.

Professionally and/or academically, of what are you most proud?
I'm very proud that I've reached where I've reached, and I’m proud I’ve gotten to where I am. I almost dropped out of Cornell, right when I started my engineering studies. I didn't know what to expect. Neither of my parents were engineers. I didn't have a lot of engineers in the family to tell me, “It's normal to really struggle. It's normal, not to get it right off the bat.” Thankfully I had neighbors who were engineers, and when they heard I was about to drop out, they said, “You started there, and you're going to finish there. You can choose whatever you want to do for grad school or whatever you want to do for your career, but you will finish your degree at Cornell.” I'm really proud that I did that. I can't imagine what my life would be like, had I not followed their advice and gotten my engineering degree at Cornell.

Why is it important to talk about the challenges that women face in male dominated fields?
This is a really good question. Challenges are much easier to face when you're expecting them, they're much harder when you're surprised. So, by helping talk about these problems, women can learn about them before they're facing them and start learning about solutions. We don't all need to reinvent the wheel, we can build on each other's foundations.  When I was struggling in engineering, there were so many things that I just thought the guys got faster. That I either wasn't smart enough or there was something keeping me from being a good engineer. Even things like going into a machine shop, those machines are loud! The loudest thing I had worked with was a hairdryer. I realized that there's outside components that affect how quickly you pick up new things. Not getting things as fast as others just shows you haven't had some of those same background experiences.

What advice do you have for current or prospective Seminole State students? 
Don't give up. Some of the classes are hard, so really lean on the professors.  Some of the best professors I had were at Seminole State. They all had real work experience. They really understood what was relevant for you to learn to be successful in industry. Most people don't go to school just to stay in school forever. They're going to school for a purpose. I feel like the professors really understand that at Seminole State. So, don't give up, even when the classes get hard, and lean on the professors, they really know what they're doing.

What do you like to do for fun?
Lately I've been working a lot, but when I have free time, I love to explore. I’ve lived in a lot of different places. I grew up in Florida, did my undergrad in New York, did grad school in Georgia and got my first job in Maryland. I like to see the popular sites or try different foods, and learn about the culture of where I'm at. Usually that involves a lot of hiking and a lot of sightseeing.

If you’d like to connect with Stephanie further and ask any additional questions, reach out to her on LinkedIn.