Engineering a Future

Keelee Roggenbuck (’12) credits calculus and physics for opening her eyes to a career in STEM during her junior year at WLHS. (STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.)

“Mr. Gottschalk got me excited about calc and showed me it’s cool to love math,” says Roggenbuck, who attended Atonement Lutheran Grade School, Milwaukee. “In physics, Mr. Greschner always pushed us to apply what we learned in a practical way and to truly understand the principles instead of just memorizing equations.”
A self-described aggressive student, Roggenbuck researched STEM and whittled down her interest to engineering and, more specifically, civil engineering. 

Once she’d done that, she set her sights on Purdue University, one of the top civil engineering schools in the country.

“Purdue is extremely competitive but WLHS instilled in me a work ethic and taught me how to think and learn,” says Roggenbuck. “Those skills prepared me to accelerate a lot faster than my college classmates.”
 
To position herself for a job after graduation, Roggenbuck has loaded her resume with four internships, including three rotations with PCL Construction, one of North America’s largest contracting companies.

“I didn’t realize it at first but being a Christian makes me different. When I’ve had internship interviews, the companies can tell I’m honest and trustworthy. I have values and beliefs they appreciate. For me, it’s just something that comes naturally from the inside out but I’ve found it really does set me apart from others,” says Roggenbuck.

Project Lead the Way©
WLHS offers a four-year Project Lead the Way curriculum that prepares students for the strenuous science and engineering classes offered at the best colleges and universities in the country.

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