{"id":96284,"date":"2025-12-09T04:00:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T08:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/?p=96284"},"modified":"2026-02-16T15:36:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T19:36:24","slug":"international-studies-and-dual-degrees-senior-makes-the-most-of-her-time-as-rocket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/12_09_2025\/international-studies-and-dual-degrees-senior-makes-the-most-of-her-time-as-rocket","title":{"rendered":"International Studies and Dual Degrees: Senior Makes the Most of Her Time as Rocket"},"content":{"rendered":"

With her bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering<\/a>, Lia Sanford wants to contribute to a greener and more sustainable world.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have always had a passion and aptitude for math and science, and I knew early on that I wanted a career where I could help advance technology and make a positive impact,\u201d Sanford said. \u201cMechanical engineering offers countless opportunities for innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Graduation

CELEBRATING SUCCESS: UToledo recognizes the Class of 2025 with a series of stories featuring students receiving their degrees at fall commencement<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Sanford first came to UToledo for the co-op programs included in the engineering requirements.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe three co-op requirement pushed me out of my comfort zone to pursue internships I may not have otherwise considered,\u201d she said. \u201cI completed a co-op twice at GE Appliances, once at a research institute in Germany through the DAAD RISE program, and once with Hilti in Dallas.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn addition, UToledo is very affordable between tuition costs and scholarships, which means I could make the most out my collegiate experience without making financial sacrifices.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanford will be walking for graduation with her degree in mechanical engineering, along with a minor in German<\/a>, and a bachelor of arts degree in general studies<\/a>. She will spend the spring studying abroad and then go to work as a product development engineer for Hilti in Schaan, Liechtenstein through their fellowship program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe program involves a yearlong contract that allows new grads from the United States to gain experience at the company’s headquarters,\u201d she said. \u201cIt also includes a language learning program in Germany the summer before I start. This year was the first year they opened it to new engineers, so I am the first engineer to go through the program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Friederike Emonds, an associate professor of German, said Sanford stands out for her initiative and drive.<\/p>\n

\u201cLia represents what a UToledo graduate can be at their very best. She is technically strong, globally prepared and exceptionally versatile. She brings exactly what today\u2019s global employers are looking for,\u201d he said. \u201cLia\u2019s achievements are individual, but the lesson is universal. She shows what happens when students take ownership of their education, chase opportunities beyond the expected path and commit to becoming not only specialists \u2014 but global professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Portrait

Following her graduation on Saturday, Lia Sanford will spend the spring studying abroad and then go to work as a product development engineer for Hilti in Schaan, Liechtenstein through their fellowship program.<\/p><\/div>\n

Sanford has been involved in numerous organizations including as president of the Engineering Leadership Institute (ELI) as well as holding various leadership positions in the UToledo Engineering Council and Society of Women Engineers. Her passion for the environment was put to use for her senior capstone project, where she, along with five other students in the College of Engineering, helped design a composting system for Rocket Dining<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy most memorable experiences have been through ELI,\u201d Sanford said. \u201cI am incredibly grateful to have traveled to Europe twice with this group, where we toured engineering companies and learned about the history and cultures of the countries we visited. Just this last May, we were in Vatican City when they announced the next pope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even as she moves forward, Sanford encouraged new engineers to make the most of their time at UToledo.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get out exactly what you put in,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd there are so many opportunities just waiting for you to take them.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lia Sanford receives her bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering and a bachelor of arts degree in general studies on Saturday. Next year she will join Hilti in Schaan, Liechtenstein, as a product development engineer through their fellowship program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":914,"featured_media":96285,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50,34,69,36,498,1,62,7],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96284"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/914"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96284"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96284\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96288,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96284\/revisions\/96288"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}