Not a Fan of 'Desk Jobs,' Scott Found a Fit in Sandburg’s Process Maintenance Technology Program
Aaron Frey
Friday, July 9, 2021 2:41 PM
Campus News, Athletics
Galesburg, IL
Sam Scott came to Carl Sandburg College intending to study welding.
That plan changed when he met with his now-retired academic advisor, Dan Yasenko, who told him about Sandburg’s Associate in Applied Science program in process maintenance technology.
“I learned to fix just about every machine you'd see in a factory,” said Scott, who graduated in May and also earned certificates in basic industrial & manufacturing maintenance as well as industrial mechanical maintenance in his time at Sandburg. “I got to learn a bunch of other things besides just welding. I learned some welding, and I had a hydraulics class and pneumatics and a bunch of electrical classes.
Sandburg’s process maintenance technology program prepares students for jobs such as machinery mechanics and maintenance workers. The program offers two curriculum tracks: electrical and welding. The median annual salary in Illinois for industrial engineering technicians is $59,000, and the employment of general maintenance and repair workers nationwide is projected to grow 4 percent from 2019-29, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Scott has always had an affinity for building and fixing things. He took welding courses while at Deer Creek-Mackinaw High School, and if he finished his assignments in another class early, he often would head to the shop and get in some extra work.
“I definitely don't like desk jobs,” Scott said. “I just really like working with my hands.”
When it came time for him to decide what to do after high school, his parents — both of whom have college degrees — didn’t push him toward going away to a four-year college or university.
“My dad would always talk to me about how you don't need to go get an expensive four-year degree because there's a need for trade jobs right now,” Scott said. “I think he knew that I was more of a hands-on kind of guy and that maybe I wouldn't want to do four years of college. It just made sense to me.”
Sandburg offered the perfect fit of being close enough to home while allowing him the opportunity to continue his baseball career. Scott played for the Chargers in both 2020 and 2021, primarily as a pitcher. He was able to successfully balance his schoolwork and his time on the team — even while enrolled in 20 credit hours during his final semester (most full-time students take 12-16 credit hours per semester), which took place during baseball season.
“It was a challenge, for sure. I was lucky that my baseball coach (Josh Foreman) and my professors would work with me,” Scott said. “If I had games during classes, we could work it out. I talked to a lot of my professors early on and let them know that I had a heavy load along with baseball, and they were really understanding and cooperative.”
Even with such a crowded schedule in the classroom and on the field, Scott made the dean’s list in all four of his semesters at Sandburg, earning at least a 3.5 GPA each time. He also was named Academic All-Arrowhead Conference in both of his seasons with the Chargers. Scott’s next step is heading out to Utah this month to start a career, and thanks to his experience at Sandburg, he knows he’ll have plenty of opportunities ahead of him.
“Going to a community college, I came out with no debt, and I got a degree where I can pretty much work anywhere I want,” Scott said. “It's really applicable and jobs for it are needed all over the country. That’s what pushed me toward this degree, because I knew that I should be able to get a job fairly easily.”
In this February 2020 photo, Sam Scott (left) works with Carl Sandburg College electrical instructor Michael Conrad during a class in the electrical lab. Scott graduated from Sandburg in May with his Associate in Applied Science in process maintenance technology. “I learned to fix just about every machine you'd see in a factory,” Scott said.