A Father’s Push and a Daughter’s Path

Arianna Terry-Titus didn’t stumble into her career as a manufacturing engineer at Gradall Industries. She was guided there, partly by local educational programs, but largely by a father who understood the value of tinkering.

“My father had a very big impact on getting me into engineering,” Arianna reflects. Growing up, she was always in the garage with him, surrounded by tools and projects.

Her father, who happened to be the teacher of her middle school Project Lead the Way class, saw her natural creativity and deliberately fostered it.

“She was very artsy, so my wife and I encouraged that,” he recalls. But he also applied what he calls a “shotgun blast” approach to parenting and teaching—exposing her to as many different skills and ideas as possible to see what sparked her interest.

That spark caught during a manufacturing camp, an experience Arianna describes as “very immersive into the manufacturing culture around this area.” It proved to be a defining factor in her decision to pursue engineering.

She continued her education at Kent State University at Tuscarawas, a decision that proved instrumental in launching her career. The university’s strong ties to local industry—facilitated by figures like Paul Dykshoorn, Director of Engineering Technology—provided a direct bridge from the classroom to the factory floor.

When Arianna decided she wanted to work at Gradall, she approached Dykshoorn. “I always tell them the same thing: I know a guy,” Dykshoorn says. He made the connection, Gradall hired her, and the feedback was immediate: they loved her work, and she loved the job.

Today, Arianna thrives in an environment where her daily work has tangible results. “I love engineering because every day I get to help people do their job better or be safer and go home to their families,” she says.

For Arianna, her story is proof of concept for the region's industrial sector.

“Tuscarawas County is probably one of the best places to get into engineering and manufacturing,” she asserts. “There are just so many jobs. You don’t even just have to be an engineer. You could be in sales and business, or a welder, or a machinist. You have almost every industry you can get into.”

TEAM Tuscarawas supports these career trajectories by connecting the local workforce with the robust manufacturing opportunities available right in their backyard.