NC3 has some impressive Master Instructors in our ranks and this Instructor Spotlight series aims to highlight the incredibly talented individuals who work with us. We’ll be featuring a new interview in our monthly newsletters, here on our website, and on our social media pages each month.

Aubri Hanson

NC3 Master Instructor | Festo | Enterprise State Community College

Aubri Hanson is a Mechatronics professor and program manager for Enterprise State Community College in Ozark, Alabama. She is also an NC3 Master Instructor for Festo and has earned an extensive list of NC3 certifications in other NC3 programs such as Snap-on, Dremel, Greenlee, and 3M.

Check out our Q&A session below to learn more about Aubri, her school, how she originally got involved with NC3, being an NC3 Master Instructor, and more!

Describe something you are proud and passionate about that your school does?

My school is not afraid to innovate, to take on new challenges, and to tackle things that have not been done before. We are open to new ideas, and we try our best to never say “no” when industry comes to us with their training needs. That is how we have ended up with six short-term college credit certificates, in addition to our associates degree, in the Mechatronics program. We are on track to add three more certificates and begin teaching at a third location within the next year, all in the name of supporting our community’s needs.

How did you get involved with NC3?

I became involved with NC3 when I started setting up the Mechatronics program at ESCC. I was meeting with different vendors to determine what equipment would make the most sense for the program we were trying to create. When our Festo representative, Chris Crawford, told me about the industry certifications that were associated with their equipment, I knew that this was what I had been looking for. In addition to Festo, we have added Snap-on, Greenlee, Tormach, Dremel, and 3M certifications to our offerings. In the spring of 2024, we will achieve over 4,000 credentials awarded in less than 5 years, all through our Mechatronics program.

What is your favorite part of Train-the-Trainer events and being a Master Instructor?

My favorite part of attending NC3 Train-the-Trainer events is the camaraderie and friendships that are built between educators. There is a fantastic network of people teaching the same things you are teaching, and it’s so good to know that there is someone you can call on when you need help. I love being that resource for other instructors. To me, that is the best part about being a Master Instructor.

What would you say to instructors/schools considering joining the NC3 Master Instructor Team?

I would encourage any school considering becoming a part of the NC3 family to do it. Start with one or two certificates, and before you know it, you’ll be hooked. After you have taught your certifications a few times and gone through the learning process, there is no better feeling than being able to share what you have learned with your peers by becoming a Master Instructor.

What hobbies or other things do you do outside of school and NC3?

Outside of work, I like to spend as much time as possible outdoors. We have a small garden, chickens, and bees. We have aspirations to expand our homestead to pigs, cows, and an orchard in the next few years. I enjoy deep-sea fishing, fishing in our bass pond, and deer hunting. My husband and I also enjoy dancing, flying our airplane, and RV camping whenever we get the chance.

What advice would give to your younger self, other educators, or even students?

My best piece of advice to others is to give yourself permission to change your mind. It’s okay to set out on a path, discover that it’s not what you expected or that you have a talent for something else, and take a different route. I have been an aerospace technologist, a research physicist, an automation specialist, and now an educator. None of these things were what I said I wanted to do when I was young, but throughout all of these changes, I permitted myself to change my mind. Do the same and you never know where you might end up!

For information on Enterprise Community College, please visit https://escc.edu/

For information on NC3’s Partner FESTO, please visit http://www.nc3.net/partner-festo/

For information on NC3’s Train-the-Trainer program, please visit www.nc3.net/training