Ashley Totin's Career Pathway

Modern Maker Ashley Totin worked with 3D printers, supported additive manufacturing technical programs, workforce development efforts, and the innovation facility at America Makes Institute, which is a national accelerator and the nation's leading collaborative partner for technology research, discovery, creation, and innovation in additive manufacturing and 3D printing.

Printable version of Ashley's career pathway.

 

 

Continue scrolling to see Ashley's career pathway.

Ashley's manufacturing pathway began to take shape in high school...

...where Math and Science classes captured her attention.

These classes let Ashley use skills she had built as a child, crafting with LEGO® and K’nex® building sets.

Working through instruction manuals built strengths in Creativity, Curiosity, and Problem Solving.

Ashley followed these early interests to Engineering Studies at Youngstown State University, and discovered virtually unlimited career opportunities.

“I was blown away that there were hundreds of manufacturing facilities within a 50-mile radius of where I lived,” she says.
It didn’t take long for Ashley to fall in love with manufacturing, especially when she saw her first industrial 3D printer while on a tour at the America Makes institute.

She began to build skills and familiarity with Additive Manufacturing and Workforce Development.

Ashley was so inspired by her tour at America Makes that she applied for an education and outreach internship at the institute, in an effort to help the organization raise awareness of additive manufacturing and advance the technology for manufacturers.

Additive manufacturing tugged at the strings of Ashley's early crafting interests.
“I love that sort of creativity where you start with nothing and get to something amazing,” she says. “I loved instruction manuals and putting things together. Much of additive manufacturing works the same way on a basic level. If you can think of something to create, you can design it and you can print it!”
“There’s imagination that additive brings and complexity that lends itself to many career opportunities,” she says. “Don’t be limited. Let your imagination take you there. It's just expanding the possibilities.”

After Ashley became a senior project engineer at America Makes, she wanted to expose additive manufacturing technology to her local manufacturing community and beyond.

In addition to her work in engineering, workforce development and business development, she has added TV host to her experience.

Ashley is sharing her additive manufacturing message with her community through the local television program, Tech Belt Today.

Ashley's experiences and interests have seen her become an ambassador for additive manufacturing at local events and activities...
...creating essential networking opportunities for others moving on their own manufacturing pathways.
Where will Ashley's pathway lead her next?