About USCTI > USCTI Scholarship Program > Connor Hust

Connor Hust, Swiss Tek Coatings, Inc.

2024 Scholarship Recipient Winner

Receiving the USCTI scholarship in 2024 has been a continued motivator for me during this school year. Before 2024, I was working on a B.S. in Physics from UW-Whitewater as part of a dual-degree arrangement for a degree in Mechanical Engineering at UW-Madison. This academic year marked the changeover point between my studies at Whitewater and those in Madison, and the transition to engineering classes has certainly taken some adjusting. Time and time again while spending hour after hour studying, I often remind myself that what I am doing is worth it, and the people around me, including USCTI believe in me and want to see me succeed. I cannot fully convey my gratitude towards USCTI and all its members for their very generous scholarship, which they humbly deemed me to be worthy of.

I believe one of the biggest takeaways from the scholarship was a sense of belonging and recognition. Like many engineering students, I often doubt whether I have what it takes to sustain a fruitful career in engineering. I have been involved in the cutting tool industry for roughly 4-5 years through my application sponsor, Swiss-Tek Coatings. I’ve always felt that the work I put in was meaningful and contributing to a greater cause than our company alone, but I was unsure how to discern if people outside of the company believed the same as I did. Upon receiving the scholarship nomination, it felt like I finally had a way to verify that I belonged in engineering, and the work that I’ve put in both in the form of my job and my schooling was worth all my time.

Gaining additional funding for my admittedly somewhat pricey 5-year dual-degree program was an incredible blessing that I HIGHLY recommend pursuing to anyone who believes they qualify. The monetary benefit is only a portion of what the scholarship provides, as it also serves as an opportunity to open new doors within the cutting tool industry. Collaborating with USCTI has been an amazing experience that I will be forever grateful for and would strongly encourage others to engage with as well!