For many recent graduates, earning a degree is only the beginning. Student loan payments can follow them into the first years of their careers, shaping decisions about where to live, where to work, and where they can afford to build a future.
The Technical Career Investment Grant was created to make that transition a little easier for engineers who choose Venango County.
Established in 2025 through the generosity of an anonymous donor, the program is designed as a reverse scholarship. Rather than helping students pay for college before graduation, it helps recent engineering graduates reduce their existing student loan debt while they live and work locally.
Eligible applicants must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering, reside and work in Venango County, and have been employed as an engineer for three years or less. They must also have at least $5,000 in outstanding student loan debt and provide a letter of support from their employer.
The grant was created by a longtime engineer, executive, and business owner with roots in Venango County. The donor understood the challenges local companies can face when recruiting and retaining highly skilled employees, particularly as young professionals consider opportunities in larger cities and other regions.
The Technical Career Investment Grant offers another reason for engineers to stay. It recognizes their decision to build careers here while helping local employers strengthen the workforce they need to grow.
“The Technical Career Investment Grant is more than a scholarship. It’s a shot in the arm for our local workforce,” said Trenton Moulin, President and CEO of Bridge Builders Community Foundations. “This is a powerful way to support young professionals while strengthening our local companies and economy.”
A Grant That Creates Room to Reinvest Locally
Bryce Fisher received the inaugural Technical Career Investment Grant in 2025. For him, the award did more than reduce a loan balance. It encouraged him to think more intentionally about his own future in Venango County.
“I found out about the Technical Career Investment Grant through a friend whose son was applying for Bridge Builders’ college scholarship opportunities,” Bryce shared. “Applying made me think about where I want to be in the future in terms of my career and community investments.”
As an engineer working in a rural community, Bryce sees his career as closely connected to the place and people around him.
“Being an engineer in a rural community provides the opportunity to reinvest into the people and small towns that continue to mold you as a person,” he said.
The grant reduced his monthly student loan payment by approximately $100. That savings gave Bryce and his wife more flexibility to support the community they call home.
“The lower payment has allowed my wife and I to find new ways to reinvest in our local community,” he explained.
Bryce’s experience reflects the larger purpose behind the grant. Reducing student debt can create more room for young professionals to establish themselves, support local businesses and organizations, and make longer-term commitments to the communities where they live.
Meet the 2026 Grant Recipients
This year’s recipients represent several engineering disciplines, employers, and communities throughout Venango County. Some returned after college to begin their careers close to home. Others have lived here their entire lives and are now putting their education to work in the communities that shaped them.
Alexander Huston
Alexander Huston graduated from Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and now works as a Hydraulic Engineer at Komatsu in Franklin.
Alexander is committed to building both his career and his life in Venango County. He also helps encourage the next generation of engineers by supporting the annual International Fluid Power Action Challenge for local high school students.
Outside of work, Alexander enjoys rebuilding engines, creating 3D-printed designs, fly fishing, and hiking with his dog. His interests reflect the same curiosity and hands-on problem-solving that drew him to engineering.
Alexanderia Polka
Alexanderia Polka earned her bachelor’s degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology from Penn State New Kensington. She now works as an Engineer II at Komatsu in Franklin.
Since beginning her career, Alexanderia has taken on challenging product development projects and earned recognition for her professionalism, determination, and ability to solve complex problems.
She also makes time to stay involved in the community. Alexanderia enjoys hiking, kayaking, running, volunteering at local clean-up events, supporting area businesses, and participating in events throughout Franklin.
Nathan Finegan
Nathan Finegan graduated from Penn State Behrend with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology and works as a Manufacturing Engineer at Komatsu in Franklin.
A Franklin Area High School graduate and lifelong Venango County resident, Nathan is building his career in the community he has always called home.
Outside of work, he enjoys golfing, fishing at Two Mile Run, and restoring a 1972 Plymouth Duster with his father. He also looks forward to supporting local businesses, environmental organizations, and community events throughout the county.
Brandon Hutchinson
Brandon Hutchinson earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State Behrend. He now serves as a Civil Engineer specializing in bridges with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in Oil City.
A lifelong Venango County resident and graduate of Cranberry Area High School, Brandon is helping maintain and improve the transportation infrastructure local residents rely on every day. His work contributes to safer, more dependable bridges and helps keep communities connected throughout the region.
Brandon is also interested in emerging technologies, particularly virtual reality, and how new tools can improve engineering and public service.
Jocelyn Manson
Jocelyn Manson graduated from Penn State Behrend with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and works as a Mechanical Engineer at Komatsu in Franklin.
A lifelong Venango County resident and Oil City High School graduate, Jocelyn is passionate about helping more young people see engineering as a possible career.
During college, she was actively involved with the Society of Women Engineers and volunteered throughout the community. She now continues that work through Komatsu’s Emerging Professional Network, STEM outreach, mentorship, and educational programs.
Reducing her student loan debt gives Jocelyn more room to continue building her career while investing her time and experience in the next generation of local engineers.
Supporting Careers and the Community Around Them
Together, these recipients show what engineering talent looks like in Venango County today.
They are designing and improving products, supporting advanced manufacturing, maintaining bridges, mentoring students, volunteering, and participating in the communities where they live. Their contributions extend beyond their individual job descriptions.
Venango County has a long history of manufacturing, engineering, and technical innovation. Continuing that legacy requires more than attracting talented employees for a few years. It requires creating a community where skilled professionals can see a future for themselves.
Student loan assistance is one practical part of that effort. By reducing some of the financial pressure graduates face early in their careers, the Technical Career Investment Grant helps recipients focus on establishing themselves professionally and personally.
The program also gives employers a meaningful way to recognize emerging talent. Each applicant must provide a letter of support from their current employer, reinforcing that these young professionals are valued not only by the community, but also by the companies and organizations where they work.
This first group includes lifelong residents, local high school graduates, mentors, volunteers, and engineers whose work affects industries and infrastructure across the county. Each has a different story, but all have made the same important choice: to put their education and abilities to work in Venango County.
The Technical Career Investment Grant reflects a forward-looking approach to philanthropy. It begins by helping individual engineers manage student loan debt, but its purpose reaches further. It supports local businesses, encourages skilled professionals to stay, and helps build the workforce Venango County will depend on in the years ahead.
Bridge Builders Community Foundations invites businesses, industry leaders, and individuals who care about the future of Venango County to support the Technical Career Investment Grant. Contributions will help more early-career engineers reduce student debt while continuing to live, work, and build their futures here.
Those who would like to support future recipients of The Technical Career Investment Grant may contribute online. To learn more about the grant, contact Bridge Builders Community Foundations today.
