MCC Engineering Program
MCC Engineering Program: Education Solid Gold Neighbor
Holly Burchett, Director of Community Relations
For 10 years, the Engineering Department at McLennan Community College has been deepening their organization's overall mission of "educating students - improving their lives and enriching our community."A Wacoan interested in pursuing engineering as a vocation can gain their first two years of fully transferrable course work across the state of Texas locally, which enables them to achieve a high level of learning in a flexible way. They offer an open-enrollment program that encourages anyone with a love for math and science to consider the profession. Small class sizes allow them to recognize and individualize the program to build a strong foundation that other programs can build upon. Dr. Mike Thompson, Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs at Baylor University stated, "It has been my pleasure to meet with faculty from the MCC Engineering program on several occasions, and I'm very impressed with their dedication and enthusiasm. It has been very gratifying to see well-prepared MCC engineering students successfully transition to Baylor to find both academic and career success."
"An engineering degree is the kind of degree that can change the course of someone's life - it can lead to financial independence and help establish a stable and rewarding career,” shared MCC's Engineering program. When asked about the impact that Waco has on the program, they said, "We are so lucky to have many engineering partners within Waco with whom we work closely. It's important to us that we are teaching our students the skills they will need to be successful in their careers, and our industry partners are wonderful about letting us know about trends in the field, new software our students should learn, and also in providing phenomenal internship and research opportunities for our students."
As the Engineering Department at McLennan Community College celebrates a decade in the Waco community, they are celebrating by giving back. Soon, an endowed scholarship will be available for engineering scholars. The funds will support a student in need who has met key milestones in the program, ultimately allowing greater access to a thriving program.