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If you ask Lynnette Frey how she got into engineering, the short answer is that she didn\u2019t really plan to. She started with CAD classes in high school, nudges from teachers, and hands-on problem-solving at home, like her dad telling her to figure out how to back up a toy semi-truck instead of just picking it up.<\/p>\n
Today, she\u2019s teaching manufacturing engineering, helping students learn everything from robotics programming to 3D printing, and even how AI can support engineering projects and learning.<\/p>\n
Lynnette began her college journey in architecture, but once she got a taste of mechanical projects, she realized she wanted something broader. Mechanical engineering caught her eye because it offered more flexibility. That flexibility has really played an important role in her career, especially when she transitioned from working in the industry to teaching.<\/p>\n
Before entering the classroom, Lynnette worked in pharmaceuticals and then telecommunications. She helped support everything from antacid production to fiber-optic network routing. One early job came with a unique perk: a monthly paper sack of over-the-counter cold meds from the manufacturing line. Her team used to joke that the engineers were probably overdoing it on the grape-flavored antacids.<\/p>\n
She assumed she\u2019d stay in the industry for a while, but when her former professor shared an open teaching position, Lynnette applied. She didn\u2019t expect to get the job. \u201cI thought, I\u2019ve only been working for five years. There\u2019s still so much I need to learn,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She got the job, and the first few years were a tough adjustment. She stayed up late preparing lectures and grading assignments while trying to find her footing in front of a classroom full of students. She shared, \u201cI think people imagine teaching is easier than industry, but in industry, I went home at five.\u201d One of her favorite parts of the job is seeing former students out in the field. Some still meet for lunch and keep in touch regularly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now that she\u2019s been teaching for two decades, she still works long hours, but gets her energy from her classroom. She likes to teach with projects that interest the students. \u201cI might need to teach a certain skill, but how we teach it is up to us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s 3D modeling, machining, or prototyping, she lets the students bring their own ideas to the table. And if another class works on something cool, like building an electric bike, she\u2019s the first one listening in from the hallway and figuring out how to share the latest ideas.<\/p>\n Lynnette\u2019s early teaching days focused heavily on CAD and documentation. Now, she\u2019s teaching robotics, coding, and helping students think about how AI tools can help, not replace, their work.<\/p>\n \u201cI tell my students all the time, I don\u2019t care where you find the information,\u201d she said. \u201cYou just need to be able to tell if it\u2019s right and makes sense for what you\u2019re doing.\u201d She encourages students to keep a tab open with ChatGPT if it helps them move faster or understand something they\u2019ve missed. That kind of resourcefulness, she says, is more important than memorization. It also helps them keep up with how fast things change in engineering.<\/p>\n Outside of the classroom, Lynnette stays connected with local companies, state manufacturing groups, and longtime partners like Mike Buchli from SOLIDWORKS Dassault Syst\u00e8mes. She credits those industry relationships and conferences like 3D<\/strong>EXPERIENCE World to help her stay current.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not self-taught. I\u2019ve been taught by thousands of people over the years at these events,\u201d she said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n When asked what she does outside of work, she laughed and said, \u201cI think work is my hobby.\u201d Between commuting and being a parent, she doesn\u2019t have much free time, but she\u2019s always keeping an eye on innovative technologies, new tools, and what\u2019s coming next in manufacturing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lynnette\u2019s also quick to credit advice that stuck with her from a former boss who suggested she read \u201cWho Moved My Cheese?\u201d not because she resists change, but because it helped her understand how others do. \u201cI\u2019m always ready to try something new,\u201d she said. \u201cBut not everyone\u2019s wired that way. That book reminded me that some people need time to adjust, and that\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n Lynnette hopes more people in engineering and manufacturing will talk openly about the work they do. \u201cEveryone knows what a doctor or a lawyer does,\u201d she said. \u201cBut not enough people know what engineering looks like as a career. We don\u2019t talk about it enough\u2014and we should.\u201d<\/p>\n Lynette was also one of the panelists on the Women in Technology Panel at this year’s 3D<\/strong>EXPERIENCE World in Houston.\u00a0 This was the first time this panel was held, in addition to other Women in Technology events (pre-Special event reception and Birds-of-a-Feather table discussion). After the event, the feedback from attendees was unanimously positive, so these Women in Tech events will return for 3D<\/strong>EXPERIENCE World 2026!<\/p>\n If you are a woman working in technology and would like to participate in any of these events or share your own story, please contact Barb Schmitz (Barbara.schmitz@3ds.com) or comment below. We would love to hear from you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/lynnette20with20students-scaled.jpg\")
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