For Anthony Petrowitz, the best part about MSOE is its small-town feel. And being from Malone, Wisconsin, an unincorporated town in Fond du Lac County, he would know! “My favorite part about MSOE has to be how small town it feels. Everybody seems to know everybody, students and professors alike, and with that, it is much easier for people to help one another out with studying and working in groups.”

This connection spreads onto Petrowitz’ role as a CREATE Student Fellow. CREATE Student Fellows (CSF) are MSOE students employed by the CREATE Institute that offer project support and leadership mentoring for internal and external partners. The Fellows are MSOE ambassadors who embody the MSOE Mindset professionally and personally. 

“I wanted to become a CREATE Student Fellow to strengthen my communication and leadership skills. I also wanted to join because it seemed like it was a community of ambitious students who take pride in their work.”

In his role, Petrowitz collaborated with the other CREATE Student Fellows to host a “Pass and Paint” event where everyone starts with a blank canvas, paints for two minutes, then passes the canvas onto the next person who adds onto the painting. This process is repeated until the canvases have gone around the whole circle of people.

“Being a CREATE Student Fellow is a rewarding experience that allows you to connect with other students in a creative and constructive atmosphere,” said Petrowitz. “My favorite part is the people. Everyone is so kind, welcoming and supportive with a similar mindset and motivation.”

Petrowitz showcased his collaboration skills at his internship/co-op at Kohler Company. As the specialty manufacturing engineering intern, he modeled fixtures and optimized the layout of an automated assembly line. He also had an internship with Wells Vehicle Electronics for the past two years. Here he tested and validated vehicle components as well as worked on projects involving creating a testing fixture for Ford F150’s purge valves and creating a closed loop pressure sensor for regulating fuel flow in Polaris snowmobiles.