Tom Visintainer, engineering architectural-structural student at Gateway Technical College
It took an expanded role in Tom Visintainer’s former career to help him see a clear future for what he wanted to do next.
After earning his architectural-structural engineering associate degree from Gateway Technical College, what Visintainer sees now is much different than what he was looking at a year ago. He feels his newfound role is a perfect fit for him and he’s happy.
“Last February, I was staring at a gray wall. I didn’t like my job or my outlook,” says Visintainer. “Right now, at my desk, I have a beautiful view of Kenosha Harbor, and I’m at a job that I absolutely love. I couldn’t have done it without Gateway.”
Gateway helps in two career journeys
The college helped Visintainer in his first career and became the catalyst to enter his second. As a high-schooler taking Gateway courses to earn college credit, he gained the skills to enter his first career, manufacturing.
His former employer contracted with Gateway’s Business and Workforce Solutions team to provide professional development training for their workers, which eventually led to Visintainer realizing his dream of becoming an architect. His employer encouraged him to consider those career goals and asked him to produce some CAD drawings for a planned expansion of one of their buildings.
“We were expanding the building and I was using my CAD experience as part of that. At some point, I realized that’s really what I wanted to do,” he says. “I knew I needed a degree to get into this field and I knew I could achieve it at Gateway.”
His previous Gateway experience helped him earn his degree, and his work in manufacturing also helped him to broaden his knowledge of the structures he would soon be designing.
College training, instructors, Fab Lab college strengths, says grad
Visintainer says he enjoyed Gateway’s atmosphere, the knowledge of the instructors and the resources and training equipment available to students.
“It’s an amazing place to learn and grow,” he says. “The instructors have a great teaching style. My program instructors were easy to work with and were willing to challenge you if you wanted to go the extra step.”
He particularly benefited from the college’s Fab Lab, located in its SC Johnson iMET Center. “The Fab Lab has something for everyone, no matter the program. I could go there and work on new designs and use it to figure out other concepts in my classes. I think it’s a resource everyone should know about.”
He also benefited from Gateway’s Promise 2 Finish program, a scholarship that helps students who have earned some college credit to return and earn a degree tuition-free.
These days, Visintainer says he’s never felt happier about his decision to shift his career goals and pursue architecture.
“I use what I learned at Gateway every day. I love my job and my career.”
Want to change your career outlook like Tom Visintainer did? Gateway is ready to help you start the journey toward your new career path! Stop in to one of the college’s open house events 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. July 17-19, 2023. Connect with faculty, explore our programs, visit career labs and experience hands-on demonstrations. Application fees are waived for those who apply at the open house event. To learn more, visit gtc.edu/openhouse.
