Faith Zadroga, a rising senior at Boyertown Area Senior High School and a Mechatronics Engineering Technology student at BCTC, is discovering that a career in industry is exactly where she belongs. Spending her summer as an Electromechanical Technician (EMT) co-op student at East Penn Manufacturing, Faith is gaining valuable hands-on experience while helping keep the facility running. 

From her very first week on the job, Faith has been trusted with meaningful responsibilities. She has worked alongside experienced technicians to replace damaged conduit and main power supply wiring, following lockout/tagout procedures to safely complete the repair. She also helped replace a failed motor that had begun smoking, removing the old motor, installing a new one, and rewiring it before getting production back up and running. 

While some might describe these projects as challenging, Faith sees them differently.  "I wake up every day excited to go to work," she shared. "It doesn't even feel like a job. It feels like a fun activity that I just happen to get paid for." 

Faith credits BCTC's Mechatronics Engineering Technology program with giving her the skills and confidence to succeed in an industrial environment. While she acknowledges there are experiences unique to working in a manufacturing facility, she estimates that "about 85% of what I'm doing here came from what I learned in the classroom." From reading electrical schematics to understanding wiring systems, the foundation she built at BCTC has prepared her to contribute from day one. 

Looking ahead, Faith hopes to continue her co-op during her senior year and ultimately build her career at East Penn Manufacturing after graduation.  

Her advice for students considering BCTC is simple and heartfelt.  "I remember hesitating because I loved being at Boyertown so much and didn't want to leave for half the day. But I would definitely do it. The worst thing that happens is you decide you want to do something different, and that's okay. If I never went to BCTC, I wouldn't be here today." 

Faith's enthusiasm, work ethic, and willingness to embrace new challenges demonstrate exactly what career and technical education is all about—turning classroom knowledge into real-world success. Through her co-op experience, she's not only helping power one of the region's leading manufacturers but also building a bright future for herself.