Job Description

When Savannah Reisner ’27 started thinking about college, she chose Carthage College’s Bachelor of Science in Engineering program for its focus on real projects with real impact — aligning perfectly with her goal of pursuing a career that makes a meaningful difference.

Carthage students Savannah Reisner ’27 and Blake Norgaard ’27 (third and fourth from the right) pose with Andis Corporation's cohort of student employees.Three years into the program, Savannah and her classmate, Blake Norgaard ’27, are Carthage’s first “co-op” students to apply their knowledge as engineering majors in a yearlong co-op at Andis Corporation, a manufacturer of hair clippers, trimmers, shavers, and pet grooming tools in Sturtevant, Wis., just 20 minutes from campus.

A third engineering, student Rodolfo Martinez ’27, is completing a co-op experience this year at Modine Manufacturing Company in Racine, Wis.

What is a co-op?

Co-op, short for Cooperative Learning Experience, is a full-time paid position for students to develop hands-on, technical, and professional engineering skills. Participants take a 2-credit co-op experience class twice — once per semester on co-op — that includes journaling and discussion sessions with a faculty instructor. Professor Robert Nagel taught the co-op course in spring 2025, and Professor Jessica Lavorata will be teaching the co-op course this upcoming fall.

Savannah, who previously completed a summer internship at Ellsworth Adhesives, says, “A short 8-12 week internship is a great experience, but staying with one company for an entire year [on co-op] truly makes a difference.”

Learning on the Job

At Andis Corporation, Savannah and Blake occasionally see each other in meetings and in the engineering lab.

“Even though we work on different parts of the new product process, engineering is cross-functional, so our paths do cross,” Savannah says.

At Andis, Blake is gaining hands-on experience as a product design engineer. In this role, he creates 3D models, edits engineering drawings, and collaborates with professionals from across departments.

“I get to work with a variety of different engineers, so it has helped me see what I want — and don’t want — to do in the future,” he says. Before his co-op wraps up in December, Blake hopes to see one of his product designs selected for actual production.

From both her internship and the co-op experience working as a quality engineer, Savannah has a clearer idea of what kind of engineer she wants to be following graduation as well.

“I found that I love the manufacturing side of the process,” she says. As a biology minor, she has an interest in medical devices and pharmaceuticals and plans to pursue a manufacturing-centered capstone project.

Close to Campus

Participating in the engineering co-op is a five-year track: five semesters of academic study, two semesters working, and three more semesters of academic study.

Because her co-op is near Carthage’s campus in Kenosha, Savannah can still participate in her sorority, Pi Theta, and is serving as its current president.

The nearby placement also makes it easy to stay in contact with faculty members who have offered their support all along the way, from encouraging them as applicants a year ago to now as they work on real projects.

Savannah says, “Combining all the skills that my professors have helped build into my toolbox has helped me be successful in my current role.” Savannah encourages Carthage engineering students to explore the co-op experience because it is one way to stand out when applying for future jobs.

Blake agrees saying, “This co-op has greatly helped my goals of landing an engineering job post-graduation, giving me a year of real experience in a professional engineering setting.”

These first co-op students exemplify what the Engineering Department at Carthage seeks to accomplish. By being exposed to the fundamentals of engineering and being focused on learning how to design, analyze, and test devices and processes, Carthage engineering students are prepared to meet the real needs of our community and graduate with the skills employers seek.

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