MHS students attend WCC’s Manufacturing Day 2025

Manchester High School junior Harper Doyle (center) at WCC’s Manufacturing Day 2025. Photo courtesy of Fran LeFort.

submitted by Fran LeFort, Washtenaw Community College, media relations director

Students from Manchester High School visited Washtenaw Community College last Friday for Manufacturing Day 2025. They joined almost 200 students from other area schools in touring WCC’s robotics, welding, and CNC/manufacturing laboratories — each of which included demonstrations and activities — and had the opportunity to meet with employers about various types of manufacturing careers.

Harper Doyle, a junior at Manchester High School, said his time at Manufacturing Day helped shape his future decisions. “I wanted to come because I’m trying to find where I want to go to school and where I’m going to spend the next two to four years of my life,” Doyle said. “I have made my decision that I want to come here.” Doyle will pursue a welding career at WCC, home to the largest welding lab in the state.

Manchester High School currently features exploratory classes where students get real-life experiences working with metals and woods. “In my four years in the classroom, I have seen the importance of this foundational knowledge and how it has helped early high school students follow a plan to continue on into one of the fields,” said Joseph Freeman, a Manchester teacher. “It’s cool to see these career explorations expand to show our students all the wonderful opportunities that are out there for careers.”

Freeman continued, “I believe it is important for children to learn about careers early on so they can start tailoring their education to meet those passions.”

Students toured WCC’s Mechatronics Lab, CNC Lab, and Welding Lab and visited with local employers and representatives from Michigan Works! Southeast (MWSE). They participated in hands-on activities such as making metal WCC-branded cell phone stands in the welding area, engraving keychains in the CNC Lab, and playing tic-tac-toe against a robot in the Mechatronics Lab.

A number of local companies, including the Michigan chapter of FAME (Federation of Advanced Manufacturing Education), sent representatives to talk about career opportunities with the students. Companies attending Manufacturing Day were ZOLLER, Kyocera, GUDEL, Medtronic, MMI Engineered Solutions, and RealTruck.

MichAuto, Detroit Regional Chamber, Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), and Ann Arbor SPARK sponsored the event.

Lincoln Martin, MHS sophomore (at machine). Photo courtesy of Fran LeFort.

Lucas Brooks, MHS sophomore (at machine). Photo courtesy of Fran LeFort.

Ryker Kleinschmidt, MHS sophomore (at machine). Photo courtesy of Fran LeFort.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and a founder of the Manchester Mirror.