Meet Madison Moore, Associate Engineer

Madison Moore, associate engineer, grew up in Swainsboro about ten miles from Nordson, but it wasn’t until high school that she knew more about our organization. After joining the 21st Century Leaders program through Swainsboro High School, she learned about internship opportunities the coincided with her educational interests. 

“My first internship at Nordson took place during my junior year in High School. I was always interested in STEM and during my internship I learned about engineering as a career. I talked to many colleagues and they all encouraged me to pursue a Mechanical Engineering degree,” said Madison. “After my internship I went into my senior year with new skills and an enthusiastic interest in engineering.”

During senior year of high school, Madison’s teacher approached her about applying for Nordson’s BUILDS Scholarship, aimed at attracting and developing diverse, highly skilled talent in the manufacturing industry. Madison was selected and awarded the scholarship to put toward college tuition. 

“The BUILDS Scholarship helped relieve the financial burden of college. I’m a first-generation college graduate and this scholarship helped pay for college without supplementing with student loans,” she said. 

After completing sophomore year in college, Madison was searching for ways to augment her education with practical experiences and accepted her second internship in the engineering department at Swainsboro. 

“I missed out on a lot of hands-on learning during my first two years of college because I was taking virtual classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This internship was special because for the first time, I was actually doing the things we talked about in class. I also gained a lot of coding experience, which has really helped me in my current role as an associate engineer,” said Madison. 

After she completed the internship, she returned to Georgia Southern as a junior and was attending a career fair when she saw Brandi Kessler’s, global college relations talent acquisition specialist, familiar face at the Nordson booth.  

“I remembered Brandi from my internship interviews and while we were catching up, she encouraged me to apply for the Nordson Leadership Scholars scholarship. I was elated to receive the $10,000 scholarship to apply to my senior year tuition,” Madison said.

In February of her senior year, Madison received a call from Steve Melfi, manager, global talent acquisition, to discuss her career aspirations and a few openings at Nordson. After a few conversations with different divisions, she accepted her current role at the Swainsboro facility as an associate engineer. 

“I really enjoy the work environment at Nordson,” she said. “I’m learning a lot and able to incorporate the skills from my education and internship into my daily projects.” 

As the only female engineer at the facility, Madison is making her mark and has felt supported along the way.

“I feel a special connection with our Plant Manager, Reeva Jeffers,” she said. “It can feel intimidating at times to be the only female in a role, but she’s acted as a mentor and always offers support.” 

Madison’s story and journey through Nordson’s established early career opportunities aligns perfectly with the programs’ goals: identify, onboard and develop diverse and high-caliber talent. 

“Each program has specific goals, but they all lead to providing students with exposure to our company, practical experience in different roles and ultimately converting these talented individuals into full time roles at Nordson,” Steve said. 

Marsalis Hammons, global talent specialist added, “When identifying the right candidates for any program, we look for eager individuals who are willing to step outside their comfort zone and take initiative.” When reflecting on Madison’s journey he recalled, “Madison was exactly what we were looking for – a self-starter who takes owner mindset to achieve their goals.”

Marsalis and Steve noted that as these programs grow, they are focused on hiring more full-time employees. And they have their work cut out for them. This year, Nordson awarded 88 students with BUILDS Scholarships (totaling $480,000+), 12 students with Leadership Scholars scholarships (totaling $120,000), accepted 32 interns and offered 15 individuals roles in the Leadership Development Programs.

Do you know someone who’s a fit for our scholarships or early-career development programs? Learn more about each program and how to apply here.