Mario Gomez
Research and Development Technician
Fort Wayne Metals
Fort Wayne, IN USA
“The biggest thing about being a leader is you want to set up your team to succeed not for the sake of glory, but for the sake of the people themselves.”
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By Roadtrip NationMario Gomez
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
I was unsure of what I wanted to pursue as a career, so I took a break after high school to think about it while working at a grocery store.
A friend’s mom worked in administration at Indiana Tech, so I toured the campus, fell in love with the engineering department, and decided to enroll.
As school went on, I realized that human behavior and interactions captivated me more than engineering, so I switched my major from engineering to psychology.
After college, I struggled to figure out what I really wanted to do—I bounced around retail positions, tried my hand at manufacturing, and even worked as a restaurant cook.
After a huge personal loss, I really took a hard look at my life and career—it pushed me to pursue a role at Fort Wayne Metals, starting in the shape set department.
I moved to lead roles across various departments, mastering the large and minute complexities of metal production.
I was selected for a challenging role in research and development, focusing on innovative medical and aerospace materials.
Now, I balance the autonomy of research and development projects with collaborative efforts, constantly learning and adapting.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
Research and Development Technician
I test and develop new alloys and processes to advance medical technologies.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Engineering
Technology
Problem Solving
Day to Day
A typical day starts with looking at which projects I have that need to be completed first. Then I work with engineers on any questions or issues that arise. My typical daily tasks include wire drawing, testing, and moving material around.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
I can't say I'd recommend getting a degree in psychology to do my work. I'd recommend a mechanical engineering technology degree if you wanted to attend school first. However, you can also find employers that will pay for schooling. So you can work in this field without the educational background up front and pursue it after. That way, you can see if it's the right fit and then potentially work to become an engineer or engineer technician, or pivot to something else if the fit isn't right.
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Hurdles
Challenges I Overcame
Death and Loss
Interviewed By
Crossroad Connections
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