When Grace Hattery arrived at Ohio Northern University after graduating from Kenton High School in Kenton, Ohio, she mapped out a path to her dream career. This summer, she took a giant leap toward that future by interning at Universal Creative in Orlando, Fla.
A mechanical engineering student, Grace’s goal is to work in the themed entertainment industry.
“I want to make things that bring people joy, and theme parks do that every day for thousands of people.”
With an end goal in mind, Grace has been building her resume. She studied abroad in Japan and South Korea. She added a minor in theatre, technology and design and got a job in the 첥Ƶ’s scene shop. She interned in the manufacturing industry. She assisted an 첥Ƶ professor with research, co-authoring a paper. And, she worked closely with her 첥Ƶ professors to select courses and identify 첥Ƶ alumni and industry professionals to connect with.
Her networking led her to Kathryn Skobrak, BSME ’15, senior engineer at Universal Creative. Kathryn is Grace’s internship supervisor this summer.
At Universal Creative, Grace is gaining hands-on experience with animatronics, helping to design, develop, and test animated figures for Universal’s new park, Epic Universe.
Balancing the creative elements of a character—making it look and move in a certain way—with limitations like space and durability, is a challenge, explained Grace.
“My brain has definitely been tested in terms of using both creativity and engineering aspects.”
But she’s thriving in Universal’s innovative work environment.
“Being surrounded by people with the same passions and interests as me is encouraging. I can’t wait to see the few things I’ve worked on this summer come to life.”
The internship is laying the groundwork for Grace’s future.
“It’s the foot in the door I was hoping for, and I feel more confident in the direction I want to go upon graduating in May 2025.”