Transfer student excels in extracurriculars and finds his fit at WMU
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—After completing an associate’s degree at Sauk Valley Community College in Illinois, Nate Neubauer found the right fit at Western Michigan University to continue his education.
“I chose WMU over other colleges because I felt when I toured here, I wasn’t just another number and I actually felt welcome and wanted here,” he says. “Something about WMU that I unexpectedly discovered is the community we have here.”
After exploring different engineering programs, Neubauer landed on industrial and entrepreneurial engineering and knew it was the choice for him.
“Socially when I came to WMU, I was able to meet many people from my major as I transferred into mostly upperclassman courses, which was a big benefit in a smaller engineering major,” Neubauer says.
After transferring to WMU, he quickly got involved on campus. Neubauer has been a member of the registered student organizations (RSOs) the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Bronco Baja Racing, served as a representative for the Western Student Association and participated in intramural sports.
“The RSOs I have been a part of have given me some professional experience outside my academics, while intramural sports have been a great way to hang out with friends and meet new people,” he says.
In addition to student organizations, Neubauer has also gained hands-on experience through internships and the Bronco Pitch Competition. He previously interned with P.J. Wallbank Springs, a Tier 1 automotive supplier located in Port Huron, Mich. This summer (2025) he’s in Minneapolis, Minn., interning at the Target Corporation headquarters as an inventory analyst.
Neubauer also competed with a team of fellow industrial engineering students in the Bronco Pitch Competition, an annual event where WMU and area high school students can pitch their innovative business ideas to expert entrepreneurs. The competition gives students an opportunity to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills and advance business concepts towards launching a profitable business. His team took third place in the 2024 competition with their product, SafeDi. Read about their product and watch their pitch.
Of the experience competing in the Bronco Pitch Competition, Neubauer says “I learned a lot of valuable things not necessarily seen in most engineering classes such as accounting and marketing techniques and skills.”
Looking to the future, Neubauer will graduate with his bachelor’s degree in industrial and entrepreneurial engineering in fall 2025 and has already started working on an accelerated master’s degree in industrial engineering. He plans to go into supply chain or manufacturing in the future.
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