As Washtenaw Community College prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary, we recognize
the thousands of alumni who turned opportunity into achievement. For six decades,
WCC has opened doors to education, careers and brighter futures — and these 60 Stories that will be compiled over the year reflect that enduring mission.
Mike Rudisill played the long game when it came to his education at Washtenaw Community College. He showed up, stayed late, listened, studied and connected with his instructors.
Today, he leads a team at an innovative tech company that focuses on future vehicle technology — from smart infrastructure to autonomous vehicles to driver experiences and more.
“Whether it’s a 3D-printed camera mount, milling a custom electrical enclosure to survive the elements, or tube bending and welding an entire vehicle frame then producing carbon fiber body panels, I get to lead the charge in the fabrication of it all,” says Rudisill, an engineering technician at Quantum Signal AI, a Ford subsidiary, in Saline.
Rudisill was raised in a family of general contractors. After high school, he enlisted in the Marines and worked as an intelligence analyst. After the Marines, he tried several different career paths, eventually hitting a fork in the road.
Looking for solid direction for his future, Rudisill decided it was time to head to WCC. At first, he planned to study Welding & Fabrication. But after a semester, the Mechatronics-Robotics and Automated Systems program caught his eye.
“I was fascinated by the opportunity. Once I was exposed to the CNC/CAD/CAM side, I realized immediately that was my path," Rudisill said. "I love building things, love the idea of designing, love technical challenges.
"But I also just love working with my hands, and this field in general allows me to do all of that.”
Rudisill maximized his time and opportunities while at WCC – talking with instructors, watching instructional videos, helping others and playing with robots in the lab. The conversations and connections proved valuable.
“The compound effect of extra experience and repetition of practicing what we were learning helped me get more out of it,” he says. “That’s how I got hired at this job. The CEO came to WCC and wanted to talk to instructors and get a short list of students.”
Rudisill was hired by Quantum Signal AI, which had been recently acquired by Ford, to expand its internal fabrication/prototyping. In the four years after he arrived, the company added numerous machines and tools. Rudisill programs, operates and maintains each one.
It all started with a good education, and Rudisill credits his instructors for challenging him.
“Day three in class, we’re out there with robots. Nothing beats the hands-on experience and they were so good about that,” he says, adding that WCC instructors work hard to provide a broad, deep knowledge base for students.
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This story originally appeared in the Winter 2024 edition of Launch magazine.
Tags: 60 Stories, Advanced Manufacturing, Advanced Transportation, Alumni Profile, Student Veterans