CHATTANOOGA, TN -- From Chattanooga to California, one alumnus credits his success in the robotics field to an affordable education from Chattanooga State Community College. 

In a Q&A with the college, 2022 graduate Marc Underwood, reflects on the pivotal role his Engineering Systems Technology training from ChattState played in reaching his goals, because when you start here, you can go anywhere.

"ChattState provided me with the foundation I needed to thrive," Underwood said. His insights resonate with individuals navigating the community college landscape, highlighting the importance of supportive faculty and staff in fostering student success. 

Some responses have been edited for brevity and clarity. 

Q: Briefly describe your career journey since graduating from ChattState. 

A: I originally started with ChattState’s TCAT Industrial Electricity. I graduated from that program while working for a local electrical company called Triad. I decided to continue my education with another TCAT program, Industrial Maintenance & Mechatronics. It’s here where I first leaned into robotics and automation.  

I then joined Amazon as a Reliability and Maintenance Engineering Technician, where I maintained and worked on Material Handling Equipment (MHE) and Robotic equipment. Within 6 months, due to my ChattState TCAT education, I was promoted to Robotics Technical Trainer for Amazon Reliability Maintenance Engineering (RME) of North America. I traveled the country driving continuous improvement of 6-axis robotic arms and trained technicians on how to maintain them.  

I then decided to continue my education in pursuit of my Associate of Applied Sciences degree in Engineering Systems Technology, with an Industrial Technology concentration. This taught me more advanced Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) programming, additional skills in robotics, and software such as AutoCAD.  

After graduation, I joined a robotics startup out of Silicon Valley called Dexterity, Inc. Here, I first started as a Hardware Production Operations Engineer where I helped deploy and install robotic systems. I quickly moved to Project Manager as I had the skill, knowledge, and experience to run my own deployments. After successfully launching some new systems, there was a need for Dexterity to expand its scope into the post-install field, where my education and experience immediately netted results for building a proper reliability and field service department from the ground up. Now as the Reliability and Field Service Manager, I continue to build the department while still assisting in deployment tasks. 

Q: How did your education and experiences at ChattState contribute to your personal and professional growth? 

A: If not for ChattState, I would have never gained the practical skill set to jump-start my new career. While the TCAT program gave me a good foundation, the associate degree program took me to the next level with project management and software skills like AutoCAD, allowing me to have the perfect mix of practical and theoretical knowledge. 

Q: What valuable lessons or skills did you learn during your time at ChattState that have been instrumental in your success?  

A: Chattanooga State taught me how to troubleshoot problems effectively. It also taught me how to manage projects and learn any new skill quickly and efficiently. 

Q: Have you faced any significant challenges in your career or personal life? How did you overcome them?  

A: I struggled with finding a career. Chattanooga State gave me a new life in that subject. If not for them, I would still be working minimum wage somewhere. 

Q: How has your education and degree from ChattState made a difference in your life? 

A: Before Chattanooga State, I had dead-end jobs. Using the Tennessee Reconnect, I was able to jump into TCAT and get a second chance at a good career. That was all I needed to continue my education, leading me to a career that’s taken me across the country and working with industry leaders in robotics! 

Q: Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for current students or recent graduates?  

A: Push yourself. ChattState gives you all the tools you need to be the best version of yourself. When I started Industrial Electricity around 6 years ago, I would have never thought that I would end up in Silicon Valley managing a team of robotics technicians and interacting with top-level engineers daily. The only thing holding us back is our own minds, and Chattanooga State gives you the education and tools to compete with the best of your competition.