Alumnus Daniel Halvorson (2018) was interested in pursuing a career in an engineering field since he was young. During high school, he took a number of courses through Bethany’s Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) program. He decided to enroll at Bethany full time when the engineering sciences program was added to Bethany’s academic offerings in 2016.
“I decided to attend Bethany partly because it’s a family tradition and partly because it offered an excellent PSEO program. Once I became a ‘real’ college student, it looked like I was going to have to finish my degree elsewhere, but the new engineering science degree allowed me to stay at Bethany to finish my undergraduate degree here.”
Upon his graduation, Halvorson was more than ready to bring the knowledge gained during his time at Bethany into a career. During his college days, Halvorson used his passion for engineering and was involved on the ground floor with partners developing a prototype industrial 3D printer.
Halvorson explained, “I am a very active member in many online 3D printing communities, and met two young entrepreneurs online. The three of us became good friends and we eventually decided to form a company together to break into the industrial 3D printer market with a printer that features a unique automated tool changer.
“As a lifelong tinkerer, I feel like I’m living the dream! This is an amazing opportunity to do some serious research and development with components and systems I could not afford on my own. I flew down to Indianapolis to visit them [business partners] for a week over Spring Break, and our first industrial prototype is nearly finished.”
And beyond the possibilities with the startup business, Halvorson had a full-time job with a Mankato engineering firm waiting for him after graduation with the Mankato office of Abacus Engineering. Abacus specializes in mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Halvorson had something of an ongoing internship with Abacus, which resulted in a full-time employment offer upon graduation. His work will involve consulting with both architects and contractors juggling the many intricacies of design projects.
And while engineering sciences was a demanding program that prepared Halvorson for the challenges ahead of him, it wasn’t all work while he was a student at Bethany. He took advantage of many opportunities while on campus in addition to his engineering studies. He’s an accomplished instrumentalist playing in a variety of bands and ensembles both on campus and with family and friends.
“I loved my time here and highly recommend potential students to seriously consider attending Bethany. Some of my favorite memories come from involvement in various music ensembles and projects here. My advice to new students is a three-step process: find something you’re passionate about, make close connections with professors and industry leaders in that field, and then judge what your career options are. Yes, college is a great time to join lots of clubs and experiment with finding new interests or deepening existing ones, but don’t forget to focus on identifying a practical passion and developing it through your studies.”