OLEAN, N.Y. — Jack Tupper knew that pursuing a mechanical technology degree was right for him after he manufactured a catapult design from scratch for a solid modeling class last spring at SUNY Jamestown Community College.
“I was able to do it pretty much on my own,” Tupper said. “I probably got stuck on a few things where I asked for help, but it was just quite an eye-opener to kind of see really that, OK, I do enjoy this and I definitely want to pursue it.”
Tupper started as a full-time student at JCC’s Cattaraugus County Campus this fall after taking spring and summer courses at the Olean location while he was a homeschooled high school student.
“That kind of got me started because I was still trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to do,” Tupper said. “I kind of had the idea of going into engineering or something like that. But I was also torn.”
Tupper, who is studying Mechanical Technology Design, is naturally curious about how things work and interact with each other. He also enjoys creating 2D and 3D model drawings of parts on AutoCAD and SolidWorks software.
“Generally, I've always had kind of an interest in creating things,” he said. “I've had an interest in computers since I was very young and that kind of stemmed into me getting into creating crafts and that kind of thing. And, I just really like the design process and actually creating something that is valuable in the real world.”
Tupper shared details of a Zoom presentation in class this semester with a mechanical design professional who was working on building a model of a syringe for a French medical company. The experience opened Tupper’s mind to future career opportunities.
“He went through and he actually created the model in SolidWorks and he also showed us an assembly that his company had worked on – this massive assembly,” Tupper said. “It had all of these parts, and those kinds of assemblies would have many, many people working on them to eventually get it all well assembled to have that final design.”
Besides offering engineering, technology, manufacturing course options, Tupper chose JCC because it’s close to his home in Little Valley and because of mentors like assistant professors Tim Griffin and Sean Nowling.
“I really like the instructors here,” he said. “Everyone's really, really nice and I thought it would be a great place to start out.”
Tupper is taking classes this semester in dimensional metrology, AutoCAD, physics, and machining, which he likes because “it’s very hands-on.”
“All my classes,” he said, “have this really great balance between everything that I enjoy.”In addition to Mechanical Technology, JCC offers many Engineering, Manufacturing, and Applied Technology degree and certificate programs, including Computer-Aided Design, Engineering Science, Industrial Equipment Technology, Machine Tool Technology, Mechatronics, and Welding Technology. Visit sunyjcc.edu/programs for more information.