Inspiring Graduate: Austin Pratt (’26)
- Hometown: Lakeville, Minnesota
- Degree: B.S. Packaging
UW-Stout provided the right package of industry oriented-education, athletic dedication and family connection for Austin Pratt, who followed his siblings’ footsteps to earn a B.S. packaging degree.
After five seasons playing junior hockey in Canada, Pratt came to UW-Stout, where he completed three professional internships – with Menasha Packaging, Imagine Printing Solutions and DDL Inc. – one of which even allowed him to collaborate on a project with his sister that created retail displays for Hormel Foods products in Costco stores. Pratt was also a member of the football team for two years and was a student coach for the Blue Devils hockey team, which reached the Frozen Four during their most recent season.
“Football taught me how to persevere through challenging times while coaching taught me how to be a leader,” said Pratt, one of 1,067 Blue Devils who received degrees during the May 16 spring commencement ceremonies. Of this year’s graduates, 77.4% were hired prior to graduation, while 99% of recent graduates were employed or furthering their education within six months of graduation.
Pratt, of Lakeville, Minnesota, is among the large majority of Blue Devils hired before graduation: He accepted a job at Smurfit Westrock as a packaging sales representative. He credits UW-Stout’s applied learning environment with preparing him for his career.
“UW-Stout has given me, and a lot of other students, a place where we can really be ourselves. One thing I like most is how flexible it is – you can be as involved in whatever you want. If you’re into clubs, sports, or campus activities, there are tons of opportunities,” he said “Overall, it’s a welcoming environment where you can shape your own college experience, with support from both professors and other students along the way.”
What brought you to UW-Stout?
After my career in the Western Hockey League, my sister and brother graduated from UW-Stout with packaging degrees. They both have successful jobs in the packaging industry, so I thought that would be a great career path for me, too.
My sister, Ashley, works for Hormel Foods as a senior packaging scientist and my brother, Justin, works for Central Packaging and Display as a medical packaging engineer and in sales.
How do you hope to make an impact in your field?
I want to make an impact in the packaging field by providing knowledge I learned while attending UW-Stout. My hands-on experience in my packaging classes, along with being a lab assistant, has shaped my understanding of different packaging materials and equipment.
How has UW-Stout prepared you to work in your field?
The course work that is taught in the packaging program relates directly to the field and areas of packaging that you can work in. After the intro class, the others moving forward taught about specialized areas of packaging. The capstone classes use all the information and experiences to create solutions for real companies. At the capstone level, our groups came with a wide range of knowledge from packaging classes and co-op experience.
In the Packaging Distribution Class, I did a store walk-through to locate pallets that are being used in industry. At the store, I took measurements and pictures and collected information regarding the pallets. I used that information to go back to the Packaging Lab to scale down and rebuild the pallet to test the compression strength. This taught me that there are many different pallets and pallet patterns used in industry and each one has a specific use.
What were your greatest lessons or projects you were involved in during your internships with DDL, Imagine Printing and Menasha Packaging?
I have completed three internships. My first internship was with DDL Inc. as a packaging intern. We did distribution, integrity and aging testing for medical packaging.
My second internship was with Imagine Printing Solutions as a creative design intern. I worked with companies like Starbucks, Marshalls, etc. For one project, I designed Christmas decorations that went into Starbucks stores.
My last internship was with Menasha Packaging as a structural design intern. This internship was my favorite due to being able to work with my sister at Hormel Foods, helping design Costco display-ready case projects for the Columbus Brand. This made my decision to attend Stout come full circle and was a unique experience that many other students here would not be able to have.
What stands out about your UW-Stout experience?
My professors – Mary Paz Alvarez Valverde, Kate Liu and Min DeGruson – were amazing during my time at Stout. They have made my experience at Stout exceptional. They care for the students that attend their classes, wanting to see them succeed. They work hard to set up each class to be in line with what is happening in the packaging industry. They work with great companies to ensure what they’re teaching in the classroom aligns with industry. This allows students to be set up for success after graduation.
How did your campus involvement impact your experience?
I was a student assistant coach with the UW-Stout men’s hockey team for five years. Being able to coach great athletes over the last five years has made my time at Stout more memorable, especially this year with the team making the Final Four.
I was also on the football team for the first two years I attended Stout. During that time, I was able to meet lifelong friends. Football taught me how to persevere through challenging times while coaching taught me how to be a leader and build up others when they are going through challenging times in their own lives.
What challenges did you face in earning your degree, and how did you overcome them?
Learning how to balance all my course work with playing football and coaching was challenging. Once I was able to set my schedule and knew my allotted time for studying, it really made a difference. Managing your time in school helps translate to the real world by allowing you to set schedules and determine project priorities.
What are you most proud of as you finish your degree?
I am proud of my ability to persevere through challenging times. Many students encounter obstacles in college that are entirely new to them, including rigorous coursework and personal challenges. Remaining focused, disciplined, and determined in the face of these difficulties requires a high level of commitment, and I take pride in successfully maintaining that dedication.
