ENGINEERING A MENTORSHIP: SPOTLIGHT ON CHRIS BIEN
“Teaching has always played an important role in my life.”
Both of his parents are teachers, and it was a high school teacher who recognized his talent in all things STEM and recommended he pursue a degree at Michigan Technological University.“Engineering, math, and science just clicked in my head,” he said. “Initially, I was chasing a degree in mechanical engineering. Understanding how things move appealed to me.”
Halfway through the program, however, Chris began contemplating a course change. “I began playing with the notion of becoming a teacher,” he said. Chris went so far as enrolling in the college of education and pursuing a dual path—that is, until he encountered a thermodynamics engineering course and a chance summer internship with an A/E firm. “Up until that summer,” he said, “I didn’t realize that a path in the building industry was an option [for mechanical engineers].” He finished the mechanical engineering degree, passed his Fundamentals of Engineering exam and pursued licensure.
As he was building his career as a licensed engineer, Chris felt a pull toward the healthcare market. “I liked feeling like I was doing something good—something altruistic, making places that heal people.” In his search, he discovered MSKTD. “I really liked that there were no closed doors between managers. I was impressed that the president of the company worked at a cubicle, just like everyone else. I was looking for a cohesive, friendly environment, and I found it here. There is an openness and willingness to share information,” he said.
And while Chris has found the job fulfillment he was seeking here at MSKTD, he hasn’t entirely forgotten that desire to pass on his knowledge to others. After striking up a friendship with Jared, a fellow student at his local taekwondo studio, he learned of Jared’s interest in mechanical engineering. Chris arranged a few job shadowing days, and when Jared went off to college to study engineering, that connection came full circle.
Fast forward to Chris being named a Senior Associate at MSKTD in 2023. “As much as I like the engineering part of my job, I like being involved in the future of the company,” he said. “MSKTD offers us a lot of professional respect, and they’re really open to turning our passions into opportunities to advance the company.” So when Chris suggested that the firm bring on a mechanical engineering intern, the management team was open to talking about out how to make it happen.
When the mechanical internship opportunity arose, Jared was invited to apply. A natural mentorship formed which resulted in an internship experience that exceeded Jared and Chris’s expectations. “I have personally enjoyed the opportunity to share information I’ve received over my time and pass on some of the things that people explained to me,” he said.
These days, while Chris is technically not in front of the classroom in a traditional teaching role, he is putting his education experience to good use. “I would love for these internship opportunities to continue, in part because I learn from them as well. Having to go back and review why we do what we do so that I can pass that information on to someone else is invaluable. I was watching Jared do something the other day with the software. I’ve been using this since 2009, and I didn’t know this particular feature. Internships help us learn and get better, too.”
