Stephanie Wolz

Stephanie Wolz is a native of Louisville, Kentucky and has been employed at UPS Worldport for nearly 21 years in numerous positions both in and outside the hub.

A few years back, Stephanie transferred from the 2DA hub to the 1DA ramp as an aircraft marshaller. In this role, specialized training is required in the use of proper hand signals to assist pilots in positioning the aircraft correctly. This was the turning point in which Stephanie decided to become an aircraft mechanic and enroll in the Aviation Maintenance Technology program to earn the diploma certification at Jefferson Community and Technical College.

“Talking to the A&P mechanics every night and becoming friends with them led me to explore this program. I decided to take the chance and learn something totally new to me that I can use to further my career at UPS,” said Stephanie.

Stephanie joined the Metropolitan College program in Fall 2020 motivated to begin a new college journey and determined to be successful in this career change within UPS. “My mom, brothers, sisters, and my wife are my biggest fans throughout all of this. I’ve had nothing but total encouragement from them for someone who’s deciding to make a sudden career change in her 40s,” said Stephanie.

Prior to this, Stephanie had already earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Spalding University back in May 2009.

Since enrolling at JCTC, Stephanie has maintained a full course load and excelled academically. Stephanie commented, “There’s a sign in our instructors’ office that says, ‘Go You!’ and while it makes me giggle, I take it to heart. I can do it! You can do it, too!”

This spring, Stephanie received a nomination for the 2021 Outstanding Metropolitan College Student Award, an award that recognizes students who demonstrate outstanding leadership, work-life balance, and academic success.

With plans to graduate in Spring 2023, Stephanie’s advice to students interested in the Metropolitan College program, “Go for it! To have college paid for is a huge thing. It’s a little tough at first to figure out how to work all night and go to school all day, but you figure it out and make it work. It’s worth it in the end so keep going!”

Learn more about Stephanie Wolz in this Metropolitan College Spotlight Q&A Interview

What has been your involvement with co-curricular activities, co-ops or internships, volunteer experience, community service, undergraduate research, etc.?
Every night at work, I get the chance to talk to the mechanics and ask them about what I’m learning. They’ve let me follow them doing certain things and even observe some of the procedures. It makes turning what I’m learning into something easier to understand. I’m more of a hands-on learner so I’m lucky to be able to take what I’ve learned and watch it in action or discuss it the same day with people who know exactly what I’m talking about.

What has been your biggest challenge as a MC participant and how did you overcome these challenges?
The biggest challenges have been balancing work, school, sleep, and family/friend time. I have time set aside every day dedicated to any homework, I’ve figured out how much of a nap I need after work Monday night to make it all day Tuesday, and I make sure to block in family and friends time so I can clear my head and relax when I can.

What motivates and drives you to succeed while pursuing your educational goals?
As a woman wanting to go into a field of mostly men, my drive is to show I can do the job as well. There aren’t many women in the field that I’ve seen so I want to be one of the few! Plus, being a mechanic is a cool job!

How has working at UPS contributed to your personal and professional growth?
Being able to discuss what I’m learning with the mechanics I see every night has been a huge advantage. They check in and see how I’m doing or what we’re working on in class and offer advice, tips, and even share their experiences with me. I would have never given the Metro College program a second thought had I not transferred to the 1DA ramp.

What is an interesting or fun fact about yourself?
I’ve been in a band since 2000 and I am self-taught on guitar and bass. We’ve had a couple records and tiny tours, but life happens, and we haven’t had any time to play in the last few years. It sure was super fun when we did, and I made all kinds of friends through all of that.

---

We are proud of our current students and alumni and their incredible accomplishments! The MC Spotlight is a way for us to highlight the amazing things our current students and alumni are doing. As you read their stories, you will learn how their Metropolitan College experiences helped to shape their futures and influence their careers.

We are always on the lookout for inspiring MC Spotlight stories. If you or someone you know is interested in sharing a story with us, contact us at askmetro@kctcs.edu.

Note: At Metropolitan College, we consider our alumni anyone who has ever completed coursework and received tuition benefits with us.