2026 Mechanical Engineering Technology Grad Turns Internship into Full-Time Job at Allegion

_{Pictured Above: Charlie House (right) poses with his father, Charles House, at the 2026 Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, Apr. 30.}

When Charlie House, 22, stepped across the commencement stage, he didn't just celebrate earning his degree – he was celebrating the start of his career.

Before even finishing the mechanical engineering technology (METC) program at Ivy Tech, House was offered a job at Allegion, where he had interned for the past year. 

"I didn't really imagine that any of this would happen," House said. "I just wasn't really expecting that they would have a place for me without me having graduated yet, especially still being in school."

But that opportunity didn't come out of nowhere. House's path to Allegion as an automation technician started years earlier, with a broken lawnmower and a curious mind.

"At a very young age, I always had an interest in how things worked," House said. "I remember we had a lawn mower that broke down when I was young, and I got to take it apart and just kind of figure out how it was all put together and everything. Whenever I see anything just out in the world, I kind of wonder how it works, why it was made that way, and stuff like that."

That curiosity led him to the McKenzie Career Center of Innovation and Technology at Lawrence Central High School, where dual-credit courses first connected him with Ivy Tech. His father, Charles House, also works for the College, making the transition a natural fit, he said. 

Once in the METC program, House found a mentor in instructor Jamie Hamilton. 

"He was there at the beginning and really helped drive a lot of my passion for continuing with the classes and having a better understanding within them," House said.

The real turning point came at one of Ivy Tech’s career fairs. It was his birthday, and he was sick – all the reasons to skip. But House pushed himself to attend. There, he met the team from Allegion, a security products company. What caught his attention wasn't just the company's reputation but its process.

"I saw the exit device for the doors and had never really thought about the process of how those were made," he said. "They do most of their stuff in-house. A lot of things are, ‘oh, they just do assembly here.’ ‘Oh, they just make parts.’ But they do it all. That was interesting to me."

House landed a summer internship in Allegion's coatings department, but it quickly grew into much more. He took on data analysis, creating Pareto charts to identify why certain parts weren't getting good powder-coat finishes. He worked on the company's manufacturing execution system, helping build quality plans that now show workers exactly which rack and part to use — eliminating the guesswork that previously relied on prior knowledge.

When the summer ended, Allegion offered to keep him on during the school year, working less than 20 hours a week. Then, before he had finished his degree, they offered him a full-time role as an automation technician, which he started in January.

"I knew that they liked me," House said. "I knew that they could see that I was a hard worker and everything. I just wasn't really expecting that they would have a place for me without me having graduated yet, especially still being in school."

In his new role, House works directly with automated robots that etch QR codes into parts. When a robot drops a part or grabs the wrong one, he's the one who steps in to troubleshoot. "I have to go in and turn it off, find out why it had that issue, and resolve it," he said.

Looking back, what House is most proud of isn't any single project or job offer — it's how he balanced it all. Between classes, his internship, and a part-time job at a pet store, he rarely had a moment to spare.

"I would say, juggling all of the different responsibilities that I had going on at the time," he said.

His advice to other Ivy Tech students hoping to follow a similar path is straightforward: "A strong work ethic is definitely important. Even if everyone else around you is kind of laid back and not super eager to take on more tasks and everything, take on as much as you can without overdoing it, you know?"

House plans to walk at commencement, degree in hand, ready to step fully into the career that started with a sick birthday career fair and a curiosity about how things work.

Learn more about the Mechanical Engineering Technology Program

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