"My name is Eloy Ledezma and am a citizen of Venezuela where I was an aeronautical engineer and an air force officer. In 2018, my family and I fled to the U.S. in hopes of better opportunities for all of us. In the beginning, I tried to find work as an engineer, but without any success. Although my academic background was related to airplane design, most of the questions in the interviews were related to applied manufacturing engineering disciplines such as lean manufacturing, production line balance, factory planning, etc. At that time, I realized that I need a master’s degree which focused on industrial or manufacturing engineering. I began to search and found UNA’s online Master of Science in Applied Manufacturing Engineering program. I read the curriculum realizing it covered the areas I needed, and it was affordable. I started my graduate studies in Fall 2020. Prior to my graduation, I was offered the position of Manufacturing Engineer III by a Tennessee company that manufactures industrial refrigerators and freezers. Honestly, I felt very confident and prepared for the interviews because of the knowledge and tools I received through this master’s program. I also want to say this program is really designed to give the student all he/she needs to succeed as a Manufacturing Engineer because all the courses are designed and updated to manufacturers’ current requirements. I can now say it was the best decision I took to move forward into an engineering position in my newly adopted country."

-- Eloy Ledezma Bastidas, University of North Alabama Department of Engineering and Technology Alumnus in Applied Manufacturing Engineering.