Mechatronics Graduate Returns to Alma Mater as Instructor
Press Release
Date: April 23, 2025
Contact: Lisa Garrett, lgarrett@tctc.edu
Mechatronics Graduate Returns to Alma Mater as Instructor
PENDLETON --- When Cory Wheeler entered Tri-County Technical College (TCTC), it was the third college he had enrolled in since graduating from Seneca High School.
If given a chance to “do college over,” Wheeler says he would have started at TCTC. “Not only did I graduate debt free from TCTC, but I learned hands-on real-world applications in the classroom and through valuable industry apprenticeships that really solidified my career choice,” said Wheeler, who graduated with a Mechatronics degree in 2021.
After graduating from high school in 2016, he entered Southern Wesleyan University to study psychology. After one year, he transferred to Lander University, where he enrolled in business classes.
Unsure of what his career goals were, he took a few years off and began to contemplate where his interests were.
“My buddy worked at Bosch and was enrolled in Mechatronics at TCTC. I saw the potential in the field and became so interested after watching him work on projects It sold me,” said Wheeler. It was when he enrolled at TCTC that he found his niche. “The hydraulics and pneumatics piqued my interest. It also came easily for me.”
He previously had taken most of his general education requirements so he completed his degree in a year and a half while working weekends as a production operator at HTI, a temp agency for Bosch.
“The end goal was to work at Bosch,” he said.
While a student, Mechatronics instructor Richard Burton approached Cory about an apprenticeship opportunity at Mergon, which he applied for and was accepted. “I really appreciated Richard’s help,” said Wheeler. “The paid apprenticeship was the most valuable experience in terms of real-world application.”
Ten months later he received a call from Alan Johnson, who leads Bosch’s Technical Scholars program. “I took the test, was accepted in January 2022 and attended night classes at TCTC,” said Wheeler.
The Bosch Technical Scholars program was created to supply the company with a pipeline of qualified technicians. The goal is to create ready-made technicians who will feel engaged right from the beginning, and therefore have a personal and professional investment in the company.
Qualified evening students are targeted in their last semester. The intense, four-month Technical Scholars program is designed to give students a real, on-the-job experience that complements what they are learning in the classroom. During their last semester, the Scholars, who are chosen for the program, are hired to work full-time during the day at Bosch while they continue their studies in the evening. They receive more than 300 hours of mentor training and 200 hours of classroom/lab training. The students graduate with a degree and move directly into a technical position at Bosch.
“I graduated debt free, thanks to the Larry B. Miller Scholarship through TCTC’s Foundation,” he said. The Robert Bosch Corporation established a $25,000 scholarship at TCTC in memory of Larry Miller, who served as manager of the Robert Bosch Corporation’s Anderson plant from 1985 until his retirement in the early 1990’s. He served on Tri-County’s Commission from 1987 – 2008.
“Tech Scholars covered all of the bases and I was very prepared for the job of production technician when I graduated,” Wheeler said. He worked at Bosch on weekends three days a week and began to teach as a Mechatronics adjunct on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
When the offer came to return to his alma mater as an instructor, he seized the opportunity.
“I want to make a difference,” said Wheeler. “You know you are in the right place when your personal vision and mission align with your workplace. I realized my passion and my purpose align with the College’s mission and vision as well. Passion is doing what you love without incentive. Purpose contributes to those around you and impacts their lives. I love this job because I get instant feedback. It’s how I know I am making a difference.”
He added that the LC101 class he attended this semester as a first-year instructor “made me feel I belong here and am building connections.” LC 101 is a weekly course designed to acclimate new full-time faculty to the TCTC culture while also providing them with the tools and resources they need to facilitate student learning.
About Tri-County Technical College
Tri-County Technical College, a public two-year community and technical college serving Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties in South Carolina, enrolls more than 9,000 students annually and offers more than 70 major fields of study, including computer technology, industrial electronics, mechatronics, nursing, and university transfer programs. Tri-County boasts the highest student success rate among two-year colleges in the state and ranks in the top one percent nationally for successful student transfers to four-year colleges and universities. To learn more, visit tctc.edu.
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