Alumni Features

Brian Sherry ’16 ’18 goes to work each day as a design and development engineer at Deep Coat Industries in north-suburban Sugar Grove, Illinois. Deep Coat Industries recently developed a new process for metalizing equipment and computer systems. Metallizing is a thermal spray coating process utilized to protect equipment, and humans, from injury. Brian's daily activities at work can run from client management to monitoring 3D printers, to analyzing the chemistry behind the metalizing process. Brian, who graduated with a bachelor's and a master's degree in chemistry from Lewis, says he spent the majority of his time learning from his mentor, Dr. Jason Keleher, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Chemistry. Brian credits Dr. Keleher’s research lab for challenging him to solve problems faster, work smarter, and understand the importance of meeting a deadline for a project.  Brian loved his time in Dr. Keleher’s lab so much that he donated $1,000 of his first...

If Jared Dayton ’08 knows one thing, it’s how to accommodate people and make them feel welcome. It’s actually his specialty as General Manager of The Dossier Hotel in downtown Portland, Oregon; but Jared’s commitment to support and hospitality doesn’t just stop with his guests and clients. “The best part about my job is my ability to impact every one of my employees’ daily lives as well as shape the future of our guest experience. I am proud to set a culture of employee first and have the power to shape that destiny,” says Jared. “The hotel industry also offers a very unique vibe and company culture because you have a fair amount of entry-level positions and nice growth opportunities. The biggest aspect of the job that reeled me in was the people. When you work with people who are passionate about making guests happy, the environment is engaging and fun. With the right people, the right attitude, and a lot of hard work, you are able to quickly climb the ranks!” While Jared’...

Bryon Baxter ‘12 has a motto: “Be open to change and be adaptable. The world is always changing and opening yourself up to being challenged is truly important.” On average, about 3.5 million people work in the fast food industry in the United States every year. As a teenager, Bryon Baxter was one of them, working part-time at a Burger King in Indiana. He says it’s one of the many things that drew him to the food manufacturing business. “I started looking into the company and saw products like Kraft foods and Coca-Cola drinks and took a liking to the process – now, I’m working for these companies.” Bryon always had a mind for numbers and science. He knew early on he wanted to take a path that involved analytics. He says it was his part-time job at Burger King, his mom, and a few accounting and career-preparedness courses in high school that inspired him to set a goal and reach it. By the time Bryon graduated high school, he had been accepted to Purdue, Michigan State, and ...