For Madelyn Sell, a career in manufacturing wasn’t initially on her radar. However, a decision to explore computer numerical control (CNC) coursework during her junior year at Galesburg High School set her on a path to professional success—and she credits Sandburg for making it possible.

“Truth be told, I didn’t know a whole lot about manufacturing at the time,” Sell explains. “The only reason I even ended up taking the class was that my father has worked in manufacturing my whole life, and he was telling me that even if I wasn’t interested, I should take the class and see if I like it.”

That initial exposure came through Sandburg’s dual-credit courses offered via the Galesburg Area Vocational Center (GAVC). Sell began with the beginner manufacturing course in her junior year in 2019, followed by the advanced manufacturing course as a senior.

What started as exploration quickly developed into genuine interest as Sell discovered the sophisticated technology behind modern manufacturing.

“I found the programming part of it really fascinating,” she recalls. “It made me think this might actually be something that I could pursue and not only enjoy, but be able to make a living from as well.”

After graduating from high school in 2021, Sell continued her education at Sandburg while simultaneously securing internships at Pegasus Manufacturing in Galesburg, where she currently works full-time. Her Sandburg certificate proved crucial in launching her career.

“It was my certificate via Sandburg that allowed me to get my job here,” Sell notes.

The timing of Sell’s education coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring adaptability as coursework shifted between in-person and virtual formats. Despite these challenges, she completed her Sandburg certificates in 2022 and transitioned smoothly into her professional role.

At Pegasus, Sell helps create components for various industries, including automotive, medical, firearms, and aerospace. The company employs approximately 50 people across production, quality control, and administrative departments.

Modern manufacturing bears little resemblance to outdated perceptions of the industry. Today’s manufacturing environments like Pegasus feature advanced technology, enhanced safety measures, and a blend of technical and physical work that Sell finds fulfilling.

“It’s a nice hybrid between using your brain to write the program, set the machine up and decide what kind of tools to use,” Sell explains. “You’re using technical aspects, but then you’re also doing physical work, whether installing tools in the machine or loading and unloading parts manually. It’s a nice middle ground.”

The technology continues to evolve, with Pegasus currently integrating robotic systems that can be programmed to work together.

“You might program a machine to manufacture a part, but then you can also program a robot to load and unload that machine,” Sell says. “You can program that robot to put that part into a different machine that measures it for you, and you can program all of these machines to work in sync together as if they’re one system.”

Sell emphasizes that manufacturing offers diverse career paths beyond what people might expect, including roles in engineering, robotics, automation, and quality control.

Maintaining connections with Sandburg remains important to both Sell and Pegasus. She occasionally represents the company at career events at the college alongside colleague Alec Byerly, another Sandburg graduate. Together, they demonstrate manufacturing processes to prospective students and help forge a pipeline between education and employment.

Sell strongly advocates for the dual-credit approach that launched her career, noting its efficiency.

“By the time I graduated high school, I already had half of the criteria for the certificate done,” Sell said. “Within a year, I’d graduated, had my certificate and had a full-time, decently paying job at 19 years old.”

For students unsure about their career path, Sell suggests manufacturing as a versatile foundation.

“A lot of the skills that you would learn here are valuable to other career paths,” Sell points out. “Sought-after engineering schools love it when people have machining experience. You can learn a lot of tech-related skills here as well.”

As Pegasus continues to strengthen its relationship with Sandburg, Sell remains committed to helping others discover opportunities in modern manufacturing.

“It feels good to talk to people who maybe are in a position that I was in and don’t know what they want to do,” Sell reflects. “I hope that the program, Sandburg as a whole, our company, and others in the area can build nice relationships so that people have more options around here.”