The Carter Academy was founded in 2013 through an endowment by Dr. Gene Carter ’60 and Patricia Carter to deliver an intensive academic college bridge program for students who wished to enroll at MSOE but needed further academic preparation.

Collin DeOcampo ’20 credits the program for providing him a chance at achieving his dream of becoming an engineer.

“The coursework did a great job of solidifying some basic concepts and providing numerous connections that were always willing to offer a helping hand,” said DeOcampo.

The Carter Academy is dedicated to helping students develop strategies for academic success with a special focus in the summer before freshman year. The program builds an inclusive and supportive community that helps students succeed during their freshman course sequence.

2020 marked the highest number of Carter Academy graduates yet with 33 students receiving diplomas in spring. To date, 288 students have been given the academic preparation needed to become a future engineer.

Next fall, with the development of the Carter Academy Scholars House inside the new Viets Tower residence hall, the program will continue to expand to create the very first Living Learning Community (LLC) for students in the program.

As for DeOcampo, after graduating from MSOE in spring 2020 he is now part of the Engineer in Training program at Rockwell Automation in Milwaukee.

“My life has forever changed because of the Carter Academy and I will always be able to look back at the connections I made and be grateful for that opportunity.”