Inspiring Graduate: Cassie Santelman (’26)
- Hometown: Savage, Minnesota
- Degree: B.S. Plastics Engineering
Cassie Santelman was drawn to UW-Stout by the institution’s polytechnic promise: learn by doing, on real equipment, in real conditions.
The plastics engineering program at Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University delivered, giving her lab experiences that included designing an injection mold in her molding class and then creating that mold in her machining class. This end-to-end experience on industry standard equipment in UW-Stout’s labs honed talents that Santelman applied in two internships, one of which led to a full-time job as a project engineer for Nolato, a plastics manufacturer in Baldwin.
“These internships helped me to understand the whole process that goes into manufacturing parts by seeing all sides of the process and documentation,” she said.
Santelman was also a two-sport athlete, playing on the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference conference-winning women’s golf team and as well as the women’s flag football team, which won the inaugural Midwest College Women’s Flag Football League Championship in 2025.
Santelman was among more than 1,000 Blue Devils who received their degrees at the university’s May 16 commencement ceremonies. Now as she begins her professional career, Santelman hopes she can bring new insights into the industry and advance her chosen field thanks to the personal and professional skills she developed at UW-Stout.
How has UW-Stout prepared you to work in your field?
UW-Stout prepared me to work in my field by having industry grade machines to learn on, so I had experience with the equipment that I am working with in industry. My favorite lab experience would be designing an injection mold in my molding class and then getting to machine it in the machining class.
Where did you complete your internships?
My first internship was with Stratasys in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, as a quality engineer. I learned what goes into maintaining the quality of products and materials in an ISO 9001 facility. My second internship was with Nolato as a process technician, where I was on the floor learning how the company works from the production level. These internships helped me understand the whole process that goes into manufacturing parts by seeing all sides of the process and documentation.
What stands out about your UW-Stout experience?
I love how small the class sizes are, which allowed me to build relationships with my professors and classmates. This helped me to feel more confident in asking for help as well as helping others when we got confused in classes.
How did your involvement on campus impact your experience?
I am involved in three clubs: the Society of Women Engineers, where I was treasurer; the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, where I was also treasurer; and The Society of Plastics Engineers. I am also a member of the women’s golf team and the women’s flag football team. Being so heavily involved around campus has greatly impacted my experience by increasing my network between classmates and industry professionals.
What challenges did you face in earning your degree, and how did you overcome them?
I faced challenges balancing school and athletics being in two sports, but the small class sizes helped me get individualized help from my professors to stay on top of all my classwork while also excelling athletically.
What are you most proud of as you finish your degree?
I am most proud of graduating my degree as a scholar athlete and conference champion, proving that academics and athletics can go hand in hand without hindering one another.
