Article published by Bobbi Steffens at Wahpeton Daily News on November 4, 2024.

Grant dollars have an impact on local students. 

The Gene Haas Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to support the Precision Machining Technology department at North Dakota State College of Science. 

The funds will be used to award scholarships to current and future NDSCS Precision Machining Technology students. Local students Cort German and Christopher Comings were recipients of those scholarship dollars. 

Comings is a Wahpeton native and first year NDSCS precision manufacturing technology student. 

“I began working at ComDel Innovation in January of 2023. That is how I became interested in the precision manufacturing industry,” Comings said. “We had an open house at ComDel and I volunteered to help with it. That day I was able to see more closely the precision side of things and that sparked my interest.” 

Comings shared that his parents encouraged him to check into the program at NDSCS as they felt it would be a good fit for him. 

“They really helped encourage me, knowing that I like technical things but I also like hands-on work,” he said. 

He not only checked into the program but he was one of the first 10 students to enroll in it. This qualified Comings for a $2,500 scholarship thanks to the Gene Haas Foundation grant. 

“It was nice to get that scholarship,” Comings said. “The Gene Haas Foundation does a lot for our program, the department was recently remodeled – it is very nice. Right now we are working on the manual machining and next semester we will learn the CNC machines.” 

Academic Program Outreach Specialist Leslie Shirek relayed that the Gene Haas Foundation builds skills in the machining industry by providing scholarships for Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining technology students. 

Students in the NDSCS Precision Machining Technology program learn about CNC programming, CNC set-up and operation, production machining, mold making, die making, toolmaking and automated manufacturing. 

Why precision manufacturing? Comings described it as a good trade to learn with lots of job opportunities, as long as you are committed to learning. 

“My instructors are really good. Right now Lincoln Thompson has been teaching a lot of the hands-on work and theory related to the class,” Comings said. “I like the technicality with it. ComDel has been good too, doing a lot to make sure I am getting what I need.” 

Comings encourages other students to check into the program if they like technology coupled with seeing the finished product.