Colten: Making an Impact as a Process Engineer Technician  

What aspects of your work do you find particularly fulfilling?

The most meaningful moments for me happen when I talk to people who mention a medication I helped make. I also find it really touching when a farmer shares how a product from our site saved his livelihood by keeping his whole herd safe from disease. Knowing that our work can make a real difference for both people and the farming community reminds me why we do what we do.

I find the work most fulfilling when I get assigned a project that’s crucial for downstream processing because it helps us get important medications out to the public. There’s a lot of pressure knowing that timely delivery can really change patients' lives, and that pushes me to give it my all. We’ve built a solid team where everyone supports each other. It’s great to see how we all rally together, sharing our skills and ideas to find solutions.

When reflecting on your career journey, what has consistently motivated you?

My goal was to become a valuable resource for my coworkers, someone they could approach with any question. I aimed to position myself as a tactical advantage for Evonik and, every step I have taken has been focused on deepening my knowledge of the site, making me an asset that can be utilized in any capacity to help achieve our overall goal of delivering high-quality medicine on time.

What advice do you have for starting a career in process engineering?

Start small and ask as many questions as come to mind while you listen. Align yourself with a good mentor and trainer who takes the time to share their knowledge with you. When I began my career here 11 years ago in operations, I had no idea what I was doing. My trainer patiently took the time to show me everything he knew, which opened my eyes to how crucial it is to have a good role model. My first trainer is now one of my best friends, and I owe much of my success to him.

Every journey begins with a first step. Can you share yours with us?

My father, a supervisor at Evonik, informed me about upcoming job openings. I applied and became a Production Operator in 2013. In 2018, I was promoted to Lead Operator, one of my favorite roles. Two years later, I transitioned to an Operations Specialist position. In 2022, the site reopened two Process Engineer Technician roles that had been unused for over a decade, and I was selected for one, thanks to my previous success and knowledge as an Operations Specialist.