Is he successful? You decide...

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of hearing Tom Burden speak at the annual Ohio ACTE Connections to Education Conference. Tom Burden is from Celina, a graduate of Tri-Star Career Compact (CAD & Precision Machining), and a former F16 mechanic in the Air Force Reserve. Tom spent much of his talk crediting his teachers at the Career Center for inspiring him and giving him the skills to be an innovator. He also touched on the fact that back when he made the decision to attend Tri Star many people were shocked at his decision, often times asking "Aren't you going to go to college?" As if to say, he couldn't be successful if he chose to learn a skilled trade. To that question he would respond with the idea that he could do both. It didn't have to be an either, or decision. He would use his skilled training to advance his career! So is Tom successful? You decide...

After graduating from Celina and Tri Star, Tom joined the Air Force, which in turn gave him the opportunity to earn an engineering degree from the University of Toledo (debt free).

While working on aircraft, Tom became frustrated by his tools sliding off the surfaces he was working on and the time wasted searching for lost hardware, he began looking for a solution. With the skills gained at Tri Star and as a mechanical engineering student at the University of Toledo, Tom began prototyping a non-slip rubberized tool tray in his basement.

Three years later, he released the Grypmat, a non-slip, flexible tool mat that solves the problem of inefficient tool accessibility for mechanics and tinkerers alike.

To raise money for the Grypmat, Tom launched a wildly-popular Kickstarter campaign. In November of 2017, Tom appeared on the hit show Shark Tank and pitched in front of four Sharks, walking away with a $360,000 combo deal between Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, and Richard Branson.

Since premiering on SharkTank, Grypmat has increased its team and sales, and been named one of TIME magazine’s Best Inventions of the Year. Tom has also recently made it on to Forbes 30under30 list.

For too long in our American society we have pushed the idea that you must go to college to be successful. So much so that we ask high school graduates every year, "Where are you going to college?" The question we should really be asking is, "What career are you going to pursue? And what do you have to do to make that a reality?"

Every year at Vantage we see students using their skilled training to further their careers. They leave our halls and go on to careers, the military and college, or even apprenticeships that pay for college. All of these pathways lead to success, just as Tom Burden is living proof.

You can watch his Shark Tank experience by clicking on the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/utoledo/videos/ut-alum-presents-invention-on-shark-tank/10155123189939352/