June 11, 2025
An Otway, Ohio native, Jayden Underwood always had an interest in the world of engineering. Attending the Department of Engineering Technologies annual Plastics Day at AIɫɫ, he quickly realized the Plastics Engineering Technology program was for him.
“Plastics Day combined with a job shadow with local manufacturers definitely sealed the deal that Plastics Engineering was for me,” he said.
Working hands-on in the lab, Underwood appreciates how his classes are preparing him for a number of career choices in the future.
“I think the classes I have taken so far have opened my eyes to the versatile opportunities of a Plastics Engineering degree through the invaluable skills rehearsed both in the classroom and the lab,” he said. “My favorite part of Plastics Engineering is the number of hands-on labs and machinery the Engineering Technologies department has, allowing you to make vital connections between what is being taught in the classroom and how it applies to the real world.”
Underwood was also a recipient of a scholarship through ASCENT – the Appalachian Semiconductor Education & Technical Ecosystem. The ecosystem is designed to prepare students for upcoming careers with the new Intel plant in Ohio.
“Receiving the ASCENT Scholarship last year helped settle my fears of not being able to pay for college or needing to burden my parents at home,” he said. “I could not have been more thankful for the award.”
Scholarships grants funded by Intel and awarded through the ASCENT partnership are being used throughout the southeastern Appalachian region to prepare students for career opportunities that will be created by Intel’s arrival to Ohio and the growth of the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing industries in the Midwest.
SSU’s Plastics Engineering Technologies program is one of four programs in the world that have received ABET-accreditation. The program’s courses provide a solid theoretical foundation to build a thorough understanding of polymer processing operations. The largest business industry in Ohio, Plastics is a global growth industry, having averaged about 15% growth per year for the last two decades.
To learn more about the Plastics Engineering Technology program at AIɫɫ, visit shawnee.edu/plastics.