Alumni Spotlight: Brandon Dabney, graduate, David H. Ponitz CTC

Name: Brandon Dabney

Education: 2013 graduate of David H. Ponitz Career Technology Center, engineering major, University of Dayton class of 2017

Activities: Ponitz baseball, soccer, and wrestling teams; Ponitz Robotics Team president; UD wrestling team; vice president, UD robotics team.

My story: I lost my mother when I was 15 and made a commitment to honor her by pursuing my passion. When faced with challenges, my philosophy has always been to persevere and get the best education possible. I enrolled in the engineering technology career pathway at Ponitz Career Technology Center in Dayton Public Schools.

Engineering has been one of my passions ever since I was little. It became a true calling when I began getting involved in FIRST robotics. During annual battlebots competitions, my team competed with bots we designed and built.

Through job shadowing and internships while at Ponitz, I was also able to build my resume. I learned firsthand about roles in machining, CNC work, maintenance, shipping and receiving, and documenting and sorting sensitive files alongside career engineers.

My future: Thanks to the scholarships I earned, I will graduate from the University of Dayton free of college loan debt.

Note: Brandon recently lost his stepfather, but remains focused on his goal of graduating from UD and working in the field of engineering.

About the Author