Victoria is a 2012 graduate with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. In June of 2012 she began work for Union Pacific Railroad as an Operations Management Trainee (OMT). When her training is complete Victoria will become a Manager of Mechanical Maintenance. 

“I had not thought about working for the railroad until visiting the Career Fair at Michigan Tech. After talking to the representative from Union Pacific and looking into their program, my interest grew. The OMT program is very comprehensive, with a lot of traveland training. The schedule for training includes both conductor and locomotive engineerduties, effective communication, and time with both the transportation and engineering departments. It is imperative to understand how different aspects of the company work together to give our customers the best experience possible. 

Having a background in Lean Manufacturing, I was excited to discover that the mechanical side has begun implementing many of the practices of Lean, including 5S, visual management, and eliminating waste in their processes.

The opportunities here are endless. One is not bound to stay in the field you start in. One week you could be designing a new car and the next managing a maintenance shop, or running train operations in a yard. It is hard not to find your niche!”

Manager of Mechanical Maintenence, UPRR