Mechanical engineering student makes people his priority
Patrick Bidwell was named Student Engineer of the Month
Patrick Bidwell was selected as the Undergraduate Student Engineer of the Month by the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science. Bidwell is a mechanical engineering student who will graduate in the spring of 2021. Bidwell answers questions about his UC experience.
Why did you choose UC?
Considering I am from Columbus, a lot of people ask me why I didn’t go to Ohio State. I think it’s probably a pretty common answer: I came to UC because of how the co-op program is structured. Not only would five co-op rotations help pay the bills, but more importantly, it would also allow me to have 20 months of real-world experience before graduating.
Why did you choose mechanical engineering as a major?
I always liked math and physics, and I thought maybe I would like to go the high school teaching route — but then I bought my first car. I was in the garage a lot just taking things apart for no reason at all besides just curiosity. So, that’s what sparked my interest.
What was your experience like during your first three co-ops at GE Appliances?
Patrick Bidwell was named Engineer of the Month. Photo/provided
When I showed up to the spring career fair, I really had no idea what kind of co-op I wanted. I remember during my interview at GE Appliances they asked if I wanted to do manufacturing or design. I guess I hadn’t really thought about the manufacturing option and I was thinking of mechanical engineering as purely design work. I did three co-op rotations in manufacturing at GE Appliances in Louisville and I think that really worked out for the best for me because manufacturing is definitely more about your people skills and I developed a lot of those soft skills that employers are looking for. Personally, it pushed me out of my comfort zone. Being more of an introvert, I learned to manage people and project management which was huge.
Bidwell completed three co-op rotations at GE Appliances. Photo/provided.
My first rotation was in their top-load washing machine plant working on the material flow team. I was coordinating all of the maintenance and repairs on the various forklifts and things that we used in the factory and I also did a lot of plant safety improvements. My second rotation was in supplier quality control for plastic parts all across the business. That was more of an office role and I think that was great exposure in getting to see more of the business side of engineering. The hardest co-op I did was when I was an area business leader at GE Appliances helping to supervise the production line. That was something that I would never have imagined myself doing, but I think I learned the most about myself through it, professionally, personally, and just overall. I measured my success based on if I was able to treat others well and keep a level head no matter what was going on.
I found that whatever product we're making isn't as important to me as the opportunities I have to help serve others and make their lives easier at work, which I think is an important mindset to have, especially in manufacturing.
What did you learn during your most recent co-op jobs at John Deere?
For my co-ops at John Deere in Augusta, Georgia, I was a product engineer working on various products which still haven’t been released yet, so I probably shouldn't talk about it too much. I think a lot of the soft skills I gathered in my manufacturing roles came into play in terms of teamwork while working in design. The biggest thing I learned through those two roles at John Deere is that the more opinions you can get on your ideas, the better. Keep an open mind, especially working in product design because it can be difficult. You might have an idea and then maybe it's just not marketable or maybe it's not feasible at the time financially or for some other reason, and that's OK and it doesn't mean you're a bad engineer. Learning to be flexible and pivot to whatever the business needs you to do, that’s probably the most important thing that I learned.
Work is more than just what you do in your daily tasks and your projects and your deliverables. It’s really about the people.
Patrick Bidwell, Mechanical Engineering '21
How do you spend your free time?
I am pretty involved with H2O Church on campus. Throughout college I helped lead and plan Bible studies and events. One of the coolest things is their mentorship program. I was paired with a freshman when I was a third year and I got to help him get used to college and just be there for him. I also served in Houston on a spring break trip cleaning up and helping people impacted by Hurricane Harvey. There are a couple hundred people at H2O, but it definitely feels like a small family. They do a great job with providing community to college students and I've made some great friendships.
I also volunteer with Bearcat Motorsports. This year I was elected as the drivetrain team lead for the internal combustion engine team. Obviously, this year it's quite different with COVID-19, but we're trying to be flexible and figure out what we can do virtually while we're waiting to get access back to our machine shop to complete what the 2020 team left off in March. It’s a great club and also a senior design project, but even though I never got the opportunity to do an automotive co-op, this will still give me some experience in automotive and maybe even help me get my foot in the door if I decide that's the route I want to go.
What are your plans after graduation?
Bidwell, center, worked at John Deere during co-op. Photo/provided.
John Deere has an engineering development program which is an entry-level two-year rotational program where they place you at a factory for two years and you get to rotate through different jobs. I have applied to that and I'm waiting to hear back from them. That would be awesome if I get in there. One of the things that set John Deere apart in my eyes was the collaborative environment and how invested the people were in creating products that would serve humanity. I never would’ve imagined myself working in agricultural design, but learning about machines that help put food on the table was very intriguing. If that doesn’t work out, I plan to apply to places around Columbus and Cincinnati, such as Honda or Toyota. What's most important to me is a company's culture and how they treat their people and how everyone interacts with each other.
As you prepare to graduate, what is the takeaway from your experiences at UC?
I think the biggest thing I've learned being in college and getting the professional and volunteering experiences is that work is more than just what you do in your daily tasks and your projects and your deliverables. It’s really about the people. It’s about the people who make the products, the people who design the products, and ultimately the customers who end up with the products. Engineering is definitely technical, but it requires a good bit of personal skills as well.
Featured image at top: Rhodes Hall at UC. Photo/Corrie Mayer/CEAS Marketing.
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