Internship sparked interest in completing bachelor’s degree
Miami’s transfer partnerships made Stephen Malamisuro’s road to an engineering degree smoother
For Stephen Malamisuro, the path to a college degree at Miami University started with a job. An internship with a local manufacturing company, where he was working after graduating from Butler Tech, sparked his interest in engineering, and he decided to pursue the next steps in his education with an Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology degree at Miami’s regional campuses.
In addition to a scholarship for top engineering students that he earned after one semester, Malamisuro took advantage of Miami’s 2+2 program, which allows students to transfer seamlessly into Miami’s bachelor’s degree programs for engineering technology after earning an associate degree at Butler Tech.
“I wanted to stay close to home,” he said. “And I didn’t want debt. I knew some other Butler Tech grads who had gone on to Miami. It seemed like a good opportunity.”
Malamisuro worked as a student ambassador for the engineering technology program to help earn money for tuition while maintaining a 3.7 GPA. The experience also led to meaningful personal growth, as he learned to tap the depth of his leadership capabilities.
“I realized how naturally it came to me to connect with people and lead,” he said, noting that he was able to develop new skills that he had not understood his capability for previously.
The small class sizes of the engineering technology program were appealing to Malamisuro, too. He said he liked developing personal relationships with professors and classmates.
“People know you by name,” he said. “I can ask questions, and they know who I am. It’s not like some big lecture hall where you don’t stand out.”
Perhaps his favorite memory will be his senior design project. Working with several classmates, Malamisuro is developing a prototype for a robotic towing mechanism that will move trailers short distances using remote control. The machine could be used to move trailers within loading dock areas or parking lots.
“If it's a hit, one day we could sell the technology to a larger company,” he said. “I really like how Miami supports you to use your creativity to build something of your own. You don’t get an opportunity like this very often.”
After graduating in May, Stephen will start his career as a Sales Engineer at Gosiger.
