JR Bontrager is a national champion, educator, and industry leader, he proves that curiosity, creativity, and perseverance can lead to extraordinary opportunities. From mentoring students in the NOVA Fab Lab to earning gold at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, his journey shows that it's never too late to pursue new goals, embrace new challenges, and keep learning. 

Tell us a little about yourself and how you have got to where you are now.

I am the Director of Technology and Education at 3D Herndon, a 3D printing company based in Herndon, VA. I fell into the job after graduating from the Art Institute of Washington and wanted to work in the expanding 3D printing field. I’ve been with the company for almost 10 years. Previously, I worked for several years in the games and animation industry. Now I teach 3D design and printing at the Compass School in Herndon; as well as train teachers, parents and people of all industries in the value of 3D printing. I currently reside in Reston with my wife, also a NOVA graduate.

Can you tell us about your project, your experience in SkillsUSA, and about your big win and what it means.

For a few years, I have been mentoring a couple of the teams from NOVA’s amazing Fab Lab. One of the advisors told me I should compete. This year, I decided to dive in but with the stipulation that I would choose a category that none of the other Fab Lab students competed in. I chose the Principles of Engineering Category, historically a challenging category and very reliant on Mathematics and Physics; my worst subjects.

I decided to demonstrate the physics of Hooke’s Law, essentially how and why springs work. Instead of simply presenting a spring and a litany of data I told a story. I was a researcher that discovered a lost sketch book of Leonardo Da Vinci where he was trying to create a mechanical dragon for the Medici family. So I 3D modeled and 3D printed specially designed springs of various rubberiness so they could fit into a wing mechanism and the dragon’s tail. From this example I explained how this same idea is used today in prosthetics, robotics and engineering.  If I wasn’t going to win, I was going to have fun doing it.

I had watched my classmates in previous years celebrate their wins and the stories they told about SkillsUSA, it was something I wanted to be a part of. It was single-handedly the coolest and most humbling event I have ever been to. Watching high schoolers, college students and professionals interacting in such a competitive and supportive environment was amazing.

As for my win, I was blown away. I would not have thought I had it in me to accomplish something like this at my age. My fellow schoolmates were there to celebrate with me, and it truly meant the world. Receiving the gold was an even bigger surprise. What I learned from the whole experience was that there is so much I don’t know, so much I want to learn and so many talented people about me.

As a personal note, earlier in the day of the awards ceremony I received a video that my uncle had rung the bell for his cancer being in remission, so win or lose it was going to be a great day.

Why did you first come to NOVA for your education?

I originally attended NOVA shortly after high school but ended up dropping out because I was not in the mindset to learn in the college environment. I wanted to enter the job market. Fast forward 20 years and I returned to NOVA to get an engineering degree because I see what the future is going to be and I need a better educational foundation to achieve my future goals. So I reenrolled to learn mechanical engineering.

Tell us about your experience at NOVA in general and how it has benefitted you?

NOVA has always been a great school to me. I enjoy my classmates and connect with the professors. My wife, a Vietnamese immigrant, wanted an American education and I immediately turned her onto NOVA’s courses and transfer programs because of the vast possibilities that the school offers. She graduated with Honors and transferred to George Mason. Super proud of her!

For me, learning new things and solidifying skills is invaluable to my job and my future. Add to that programs and facilities like the Fab Lab and I don’t see my creativity slowing down anytime soon.

You’ve had some other notable achievements while at NOVA - please tell us about those.

NOVA has given me the opportunity to achieve so much. In 2024 I was given the honor of being the commencement speaker for the graduating class. I was able to tell my story to the graduates and inspire many of them, I hope, that learning should never stop. I’m also a member of the NOVA Honors program and now a National Champion for SkillsUSA.  Next year, hopefully, a NOVA graduate.

Why is Engineering Technology important and why should people pursue it as a career?

I love this industry because it’s the new frontier. Everyday there’s something new. A.I., Robotics, drones, medical breakthroughs, disaster relief and social advancements make this the largest growing industry in the world. It really does give you the chance to excel in whatever your talent or interests are. I wouldn’t have been as excited for this field as I am without seeing the unbelievable achievements of creative engineers and their passions for making Science Fiction’s coolest things a reality.

What is like working together with many other students at NOVA who may not have the same life-experience as you? How do you influence them and vice versa?

Working with other younger students at NOVA has given me such a valuable perspective on how the new generation of makers and engineers thinks and solves problems. When you’re in a position for a long time you lose a little of that “what-if” mentality, you get focused that your way is THE way. Brainstorming with the other Fab Lab members and the SkillsUSA teammates is like watching a lightning storm build in a bottle. They are truly amazing. The back in forth is a great exercise because I have the experience of knowing if something works or doesn’t, but they can think of dozens of alternatives that I never considered. Perspective is everything.

How do you balance your time and energy between work and education?

Thankfully my work is very supportive of my desire to go back to school and pursue a greater education. The benefit of my job is that I work on creating curriculum, workshops and presentations about what I’m studying for work and vice versa so work and school turn into positive study sessions.

Tell us about the importance of interpersonal skills in a tech career, and particular communication skills that you have developed.

More than ever soft skills are the most desired in the tech field. There are usually multiple teams, managers and clients that need to be interfaced with constantly. So being able to relay information and be professional and personable are a huge advantage. In my current position I must meet with clients that don’t understand anything about 3D and 3D printing so I had to learn to express ideas more clearly, take in information and feedback from the client and keep clients and coworkers up to date about deadlines and progress. I still struggle with it now, but I’ll admit that having to post in the CANVAS chats for class have made me better at taking information and replying in a concise professional manner.

What’s the easiest and hardest thing about your career path?

The easiest thing about my career path is that there are so many routes into it. Engineering Technology is so diverse in function and personality that I can always find something to be excited about and something new to learn. The hardest part is hitting that wall of my knowledge gap. Despite my years of experience there are many things I don’t know or understand. Technology moves so fast that I haven’t learned enough about some subjects and I wind up falling behind in a lot of cases. This can mean that my company has to turn down a good contract or I must miss an opportunity. You can’t know everything or be everything to everyone, so never get discouraged; I use it as a learning experience for the next time.

Where do you see yourself in 5-years?

My dream scenario is to have my doctorate in applied media education, be teaching at NOVA as an adjunct professor and continuing to build the engineering technology curriculum in Northern Virginia.

What is your advice to NOVA students who are interested but undecided about pursuing your degrees?

NOVA is like going to the ice cream parlor. You can sample the different flavors until you find something you enjoy. When I came back to NOVA, I couldn’t believe the depth and breadth of classes that were available. It was so cool to see. I’m treating my education at NOVA like a Frankenstein’s monster. Assimilating knowledge to broaden my own passions, like photography and museum restoration. Both of which I have learned on the fly while at my job working with the Smithsonian and using photogrammetry to generate 3D models.

What's your advice for NOVA students who are taking that next step into a tech job?

If you’re going into the tech fields, don’t let others dismiss you because you are new and inexperienced. Use that to your advantage and give them a different perspective. Learn from those around you, build your knowledge base and continue to learn new skills on your own. People will typically never train you to replace them, so you need to drive yourself. Find a good mentor, learn from them and they should push you to be better and better.

What do you like to do in your spare time (if you have any)?

In my spare time I am a play tester for several game companies. I’m getting ready to write a fantasy novel. I design adaptive technology for people with disabilities, and I watch a lot of kung-fu movies.

Who are/were some of your role models and how did they influence you?

I have been fortunate to have some very influential mentors, role models and collaborators. My professor from the Art Institute, Bryan Tillman, now my mentor, was the first to advise me to pursue 3D and has been pushing me forward ever sense. Though I have not been the best mentee lately he’s always there for me. His stance on higher education is the same way I teach my students. He always said that “a job is Just Over Broke and that a career should be your goal. If you want to be successful you need to work for it. Wash dishes by day and at night develop your craft until you can make your passion your career.”

At 3D Herndon, the owner Ran Farmer, has shown me the value of being able to see the business side of things. How your skills have value and that you should never shortchange yourself when you can be so much more. I tell everyone that this is the kind of job that you never leave because there’s something new every day and that the challenges never stop. He has shown me the value of my adaptability and creative problem-solving.

I also recognize the amazing staff of the NOVA Fab Lab, without them I don’t think many students, me included, would see their true potential and get the hands-on experience of doing incredible things with their follow students. Or how they can enrich and grow positive change in the world around them.

Other thoughts? Anything important we missed with the other questions?

My biggest secret, that’s not a secret, is that I was diagnosed with MS three years ago, right as I was going back to school. I had to drop out of NOVA, again, to undergo treatment and get myself into the right frame of mind. I came back to NOVA, stronger and more driven with the purpose of learning more to help those around me. This was also a big motivator for me in competing in SkillsUSA. To see if I could push myself further than I have before. Looks like I’ll have to push some more to find my next wall to breakthrough.