Spring 2013
Engineered to Succeed
Fox Valley Technical College’s Electrical Engineering Technology program turns a general factory worker into an electronics technician with top secret security clearance.
Mike Larson grew up on a dairy farm, got married, had children, and worked long days in a factory. At age 25, he realized that balancing work and family wasn’t quite the way he would like it to be, and he started to wonder about the rest of his life. His father-in-law, who saw a lot of potential in Mike, asked him, “If you had the opportunity to do whatever you wanted, what would that be?”
Mike Larson
Larson realized he wanted to use his brain more than his body while working. “I have always been interested in how things work,” says Larson. “I just never thought of college as an option.”
That led him to pick up a Fox Valley Technical College admissions guide. Larson decided he was interested in electronics. He earned two associate degrees at FVTC in Electrical Engineering Technology (EET) and in Electronics. “The instructors in my circuit analysis classes were my true mentors,” states Larson. “Without those classes, I would not be working where I am today.”
Today, the 30-year-old Larson is in Las Vegas working as an electronics technician who holds top secret security clearance for JT3, a technology contractor to the U.S. Department of Defense. “I am unable to give detailed information about my job,” he explains. “I have to maintain my security clearance. All I can say is that I love it!”
Looking back at his education at FVTC, Larson was impressed with the hands-on experience and technology. “I earned advanced-level knowledge at Fox Valley Tech so I could compete against others from four-year schools.”
Larson had accepted his position at JT3 just two months after graduating from FVTC. “I never would have thought that in five short years this small town farm boy would be living in Las Vegas with a family and loving his new life,” concludes Larson. He says he’s “living the dream!”
Putting a Charge in Your Career
Electrical technicians can work in a variety of fields, such as:
Product development
Manufacturing
Testing/Research
Quality control
Installation
Sales
Distribution
Field service
Maintenance
