Plastics Hall of Fame Equipment Council Scholarship Recipient
Ferris State University
Junior, Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology
Home: Ortonville, MI

Madelyn Misenar has been a student at Ferris State University since 2022. She initially enrolled in the biology program but discovered her true passion after being introduced to the Plastics and Polymer Engineering Technology program through a PlastiVan presentation in high school. That exposure sparked her interest in plastics, shifting her academic and career trajectory.

As the first in her family to attend a four-year university away from home, Madelyn has faced and overcome significant challenges—navigating college life, maintaining academic performance, and financing her education independently. Despite these demands, she successfully earned her associate degree in Plastics and Polymer Engineering Technology in December 2024.

Her coursework has provided her with hands-on experience in industry-standard processes and equipment, including injection molding, thermoforming, blow molding, and extrusion. Through collaboration with peers and instructors, she has developed strong problem-solving and leadership skills, which she continues to sharpen in her bachelor’s studies.

Madelyn further advanced her experience through an internship at Agape Plastics, an automotive injection molding company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. There, she worked directly on production presses, gaining a practical understanding of quality control, part defects, and troubleshooting. She also contributed to the quality team by creating operator work instructions and sorting molded parts, bridging classroom knowledge with real-world applications.

This immersive experience reinforced her interest in injection molding and helped her identify her professional goal: becoming a process or manufacturing engineer. She excels at refining machine processes, resolving cycle time issues, and producing high-quality parts efficiently. She particularly enjoys seeing immediate results from her work and using her skills to optimize performance.

Currently enrolled in the bachelor’s program at Ferris State, Madelyn anticipates graduating in May 2026. Her advanced coursework is expanding her knowledge of project management, business operations, and economic considerations in the plastics industry. She is excited to continue learning and growing into a capable, passionate engineering professional dedicated to innovation and excellence in the field.