U.S. Army Veteran Returns to School to Pursue Electrical Engineering Management Career

Meet John Yingling

Major/Program: Electrical Engineering
Graduation: 2020
Scholarships: Veteran benefits
Hometown: East Freedom, Pa.
High School: Spring Cove Central High School
Now Living In: Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh
Dream Job: Engineering department manager of a global defense contractor
Hobbies & Interests: Home renovation, working out, cooking, traveling and languages

"I had inquired and applied to a few other universities (both in and out of state), but the admissions and veterans resources departments at Point Park were by far the most timely and knowledgeable about answering my questions, especially in regards to the electrical engineering program and how to effectively make use of my veterans educational benefits."

John Yingling

As a veteran, what factors made you choose Point Park University?

As a veteran utilizing the Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, I mainly chose Point Park University due to the seamless transition it allowed me to have. I had inquired and applied to a few other universities (both in and out of state), but the admissions and veterans resources departments at Point Park were by far the most timely and knowledgeable about answering my questions, especially in regards to the electrical engineering program and how to effectively make use of my veterans educational benefits.

Tell us about your work experience in the engineering field.

After being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, I obtained employment with a private defense contractor in Johnstown, Pa. My initial position with this company involved troubleshooting and repair of battle-damaged robotic weapon systems. Within two years of employment, I was offered a lead technician role where I managed the testing and troubleshooting department. For the next eight years in this occupation, I worked very closely with teams of engineers in order to diagnose failures and increase product improvement.

Why did you decide to return to school to earn a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering?

After reaching my 10-year anniversary with the company discussed above, I decided the next step in my career was to become one of those engineers I had been working so closely with over the years. And thanks to the educational benefits I earned as a veteran, that next step was only a matter of finding the right university to achieve my goal.

Describe the teaching style of Point Park’s engineering faculty.

Much of my success at Point Park can be attributed to the engineering and mathematics faculty. Given the length of time since I attended high school, I found the intense mathematics in the engineering major to be quite daunting. However, each professor has been more than willing to personally assist with course work and comprehending the material. As a result, not only have I maintained an exceptional GPA, I’ve also been able to grasp the concepts substantially enough to help other students as well.

What is your favorite engineering class and why?

My favorite class is definitely Engineering Circuit Analysis. This class combines the math skills I have gained with real-world, hands-on applications, which I love. Having already worked in the engineering field, this course has been particularly valuable in understanding the fundamentals of electronic circuits and electricity as they relate to my previous employment. It’s a tough class, but the sense of accomplishment gained from this level of problem solving is more than worth it.

What are your career goals?

I plan on continuing my career in the defense industry and obtaining my licensure as a professional electrical engineer. After a few years working as a professional engineer, my career will be focused on engineering management.

U.S. Army Veteran Returns to School to Pursue Electrical Engineering Management Career Student Profile