At Florida Tech, we understand that the ultimate goal of attending college is to secure a rewarding career. That’s why we’re proud to say that many of our students do just that—oftentimes, before they graduate.
Let’s hear from some of our most recent engineering graduates who were honored at the spring 2025 commencement ceremony May 10. Their success is a testament to their hard work, dedication and the valuable education they received at Florida Tech.
Parker Cummings ’25
After turning a summer internship into a part-time role, Parker Cummings ’25 accepted a full-time position as a field engineer at ALTR. The computer science graduate first connected with the company at Florida Tech’s Career Services career fair.
“It feels incredible to receive this job offer before graduating. I feel very lucky that my hard work and time at Florida Tech resulted in securing my future and starting my career right off the bat. Seeing as my position is a customer-facing software engineer, speaking skills are crucial. Florida Tech prepared me for this position in many ways. Being a leader in my fraternity—president for some time—I learned this very valuable skill through interacting with my brothers, alumni, parents and school staff. Career Services career fair was also a great experience for me. I was able to earn an internship for summer 2023 and 2024, both through companies I met at the fair. The latter resulted in a full-time position. What helped a lot in sealing this job was that I built good software with real customer impact! Beyond that, I built relationships with my co-workers, who make work a little more fun every day. This position directly relates to my degree. I use the things I’ve learned at work every day. Building solid and sound software—especially at an industry level—is really important. My advice for incoming students is go to the career fair. Even if you’re still an underclassman, there are still opportunities to learn and grow as a more experienced professional. Go with startups and small businesses.”
—Parker Cummings ’25, computer science
Braden Hartlieb ’25
After multiple internships with Textron Systems and Bell Textron Inc., aerospace engineering major Braden Hartlieb ’25 launched his career as a manufacturing engineer at Bell Helicopter.
“Knowing I have a full-time role lined up after graduation gives me confidence and peace of mind, especially since I’ll be stepping into the position while the knowledge and hands-on experience from college are still fresh. The most impactful experience I had at Florida Tech was my senior design project, Project Vulcan. As the mechanical engineer lead, I gained valuable experience bringing a conceptual design to life. The coordination and precision we maintained closely mirror real-world challenges in manufacturing engineering and gave me a strong foundation. Support from professors like Dr. Kirk, Dr. Swenson and Dr. Irmak challenged me to think critically and push beyond surface-level solutions. That mindset translated to my success in the real world. I think what sealed the deal with Bell was my alignment with their mission and the experience I brought to the table. I showed I could take initiative, solve real manufacturing challenges and contribute to the production of advanced components. Transitioning into manufacturing engineering allows me to take the theoretical and analytical foundation from aerospace and apply it in a practical, production-focused setting. I chose Florida Tech for its location, the opportunity to play lacrosse and its strong academic programs. Earning a respected degree from an accredited university had always been one of my top priorities because I knew it would open doors and set the foundation for a successful career. My two biggest pieces of advice are to master time management and start early. A strong résumé and one meaningful experience can set you apart, even as a freshman.”
—Braden Hartlieb ’25, aerospace engineering
Laura Mace ’25
Laura Mace ’25 accepted her dream job before graduating as an ocean engineer. Thanks to connections she made through the Society of Ocean Engineers, friends and, eventually, the career fair, she’s made her way to the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, as an engineer/naval architect.
“I attended the career fair in September with hopes of a successful interview and walked out with a job offer of my dream job! I wasn’t expecting it at all. If anything, I was expecting to use the career fair as practice for interviews and talking to employers. So, when I was offered my job, it was a huge curveball! Throughout my years at Florida Tech, I’ve been able to take courses focused for this position. I’ve also had the opportunity to serve in a variety of leadership positions in student organizations, which allowed me to build upon my teamwork and leadership skills. Having the support of my classmates was definitely an important factor. Working through ideas and helping one another out was a nice support system to have. I believe my outgoing personality and confidence sealed the deal, as well as just being myself. Having the ability to connect with my recruiter on both an academic and sociable level was definitely beneficial. Though this position is engineering, I’ll be focusing on ship design (naval architecture). We’ve had many opportunities throughout the years to learn specifically about ship design, but also learned about all the important sectors within the ocean engineering field, as well. My ultimate career goal is to continue to be a Naval Architect. I would like to design cruise ships at one point and would also enjoy working on theme parks. Overall, working at Carderock is an amazing step into my future! I picked Florida Tech because of the ocean engineering program and its location. To be able to study the ocean while living right next to it is a dream come true. This program truly has been the best and has prepared me for all I need in the workforce! My advice to incoming students is get involved and try to join a project within your major as soon as you can. You learn a bunch in the classroom, but outside of the classroom is just as important.”
— Laura Mace ’25, Ocean Engineering
Madeline Marasco ’25
Fresh off earning her bachelor’s in psychology with a concentration in animal learning and behavior, Madeline Marasco ’25 is at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as a macaw trainer with National Encounters Inc.
“I wasn’t expecting to enter the animal training field so soon because of the extremely competitive nature of it, so having something lined up is terrific. My work in the classroom and research outside of it—learning the fundamentals of animal behavior and training—has been useful not only during my internship last summer, but also in gaining experience to prepare me for joining the workforce. I absolutely would not be in this position without Dr. Proctor and Dr. Talbot. They are incredible professors, and they have so much knowledge on animal care, training and research. They constantly strived for me to be the best version of myself, both in the classroom and during my time with them at the Brevard Zoo, designing and conducting research. I’ve always had my mind set on working with marine mammals, but my time with spider monkeys at the zoo and roaches through the Roach Lab has opened so many more opportunities for me than I previously thought possible. I believe my experiences working in both spaces were big reasons why I secured the position. Working with cute animals is fun, but working with less-loved animals, like cockroaches, shows a dedication to the field that not everyone has the chance to explore and provides a unique perspective that most people in the field don’t get to experience. I aim to work in the animal care and training field long term, with a focus on marine animals. I chose Florida Tech because of the animal learning and behavior concentration not offered at most other schools, the research opportunities I would have and the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with animals while in college.”
—Madeline Marasco ’25, psychology with a concentration in animal learning and behavior
