![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2021\/07\/STO_first-generation-grads_grulkowskibrothers_2021_feature-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n<\/h3>\nTwo brothers graduated together from University of Wisconsin-Stout this past May. And no, they\u2019re not twins. But as first-generation graduates, Alex and Andrew Grulkowski, of Independence, are changing their family dynamics.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is something big for our family,\u201d said their mother, Laurie. \u201cThey\u2019re the first in our family to graduate from a university. They\u2019re making us proud and moving onto great things as contributing members of society.\u201d<\/p>\n The Grulkowski brothers had similar beginnings in the workforce, but their interests led them down different career paths. Alex, whose interests are problem-solving, design and engineering, graduated in packaging.<\/p>\n Andrew has always been interested in electronic devices. \u201cWhat better opportunity than to learn how they work behind the scenes,\u201d he said. He graduated in computer and electrical engineering, with minors in computer science and mathematics.<\/p>\n They were both hired before graduation: Alex as a packaging engineer with Ashley Furniture Industries in Arcadia, and Andrew as a test engineer with Hewlett Packard Enterprise in Chippewa Falls.<\/p>\n Both brothers are ambitious, Laurie said, having worked as young teens at a neighboring farm and as shop technicians at Jurowski Construction Inc., where their father, Dale, works.<\/p>\n Alex started at Ashley Furniture in high school, in the research and development department, testing furniture for stability prior to going on the market. After his first year at Ashley, Alex was able to pick his R&D partner. He chose his brother, and Andrew was hired.<\/p>\n Alex later moved on to Ashley\u2019s packaging department, where he was able to complete his internship during summer and winter breaks. \u201cI learned the processes of package design and testing, and standard operating procedures for packaging,\u201d he said. \u201cBy the end of my internship, I was doing almost everything that I am currently doing as a packaging engineer.\u201d<\/p>\n Andrew completed his internship at HPE last summer. He was on the Mission Critical\/Product Issue Resolution team, working with customers to resolve technical issues. \u201cI was able to gain some essential real-world experience in the field that I could translate to any related career path,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Grulkowskis interviewed with their prospective companies and were hired on the spot. As a packaging engineer, Alex designs new packaging, primarily for ready-to-assemble furniture, and assists the production and shipping teams with packaging-related issues.<\/p>\n The knowledge Alex gained in his courses in general packaging, material properties and the design process is helping him in his career. \u201cI would like to establish myself in the industry, and in the future start a company, whether that be related to packaging or not,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n And as a test engineer, Andrew works with various types of software and hardware and validates that systems work together properly. \u201cI think the polytechnic aspect of my CEE degree will help me,\u201d he said. \u201cThe coursework and labs allowed me to gain some essential knowledge to work in the field. As for goals, I\u2019d just like to do the best I can every day and make sure I\u2019m producing results.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExperiential learning is essential in the development of career-readiness skills,\u201d said Bethany Henthorn, cooperative education coordinator and career counselor with Career Services. \u201cUW-Stout\u2019s Cooperative Education and Internship Program allows students to gain industry-related experience, which ultimately increases our students\u2019 employability upon graduation.\u201d<\/p>\n While in school, Alex and Andrew remodeled a 1966 Chevrolet C10 pickup truck Andrew bought. Their grandfather had the same model of truck, which was eventually passed down to Alex. But he didn\u2019t have the title, so the truck was sold for parts.<\/p>\n Andrew liked the style and bought his C10 when he was 16. When the frame was damaged when he hit a deer, the brothers started a restoration project.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had never done any of this work prior, but we dove in and made it happen,\u201d Andrew said. \u201cWe did all of the mechanical, body and paintwork ourselves in our parents\u2019 garage. It took almost six years to complete.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe collaboration of our family to finish this project is what makes the truck special,\u201d Alex added.<\/p>\n Like their dive into the restoration project, going to college was also a first for Alex\u2019s and Andrew\u2019s family. Their grandfather left school after eighth grade, and their great-grandfather only finished to second grade. Laurie, who is a licensed practical nurse at Trempealeau County Healthcare Center, was the first in their family to pursue higher education and graduated from three junior colleges.<\/p>\n \u201cAlex and Andrew are outstanding young men who are going out into the world as problem-solvers,\u201d she said. \u201cLiving proof family cycles can change for the better.\u201d<\/p>\n By Abbey Goers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Grulkowskis are seeking to provide solutions in packaging and computer engineering at regional companies Two brothers graduated together from University of Wisconsin-Stout this past May. And no, they\u2019re not twins. But as first-generation graduates, Alex and Andrew Grulkowski, of Independence, are changing their family dynamics. \u201cThis is something big for our family,\u201d said their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":6676,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[90],"story_category":[],"class_list":["post-6673","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-stout"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/6673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6673"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=6673"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=6673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2021\/07\/STO_first-gen-grads_grulkowski_brothers_2.jpg\")
Hired before graduation<\/h3>\n
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Driving forward into their future<\/h3>\n
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