“As a freshman majoring in Engineering at Olivet Nazarene University, I thought I was going to work with my hands and invent things,” says Steven Norlock ’21 BSE/’22 MBA. “Now I know that there is so much more to this career.”
Currently, Steven is the Senior Global Product Owner of RTLS (Real-Time Location System) for CenTrak and works remotely from Chicago. This Pennsylvania-based company assists healthcare facilities in increasing productivity, streamlining workflows, driving higher patient and staff satisfaction, and reducing operating costs. CenTrak is one of the “founding fathers” of RTLS.
“I’m actually a mini-CEO for a product line or portfolio,” Steven says. “I lead 2 firmware teams in India, each with 6 team members, and a 10-person hardware team in Pennsylvania. Having my MBA definitely catapulted my career progression. I’ve been with CenTrak for 6 years, and I already have a senior role that requires 10-plus years of experience.”
Beginning the Climb
Steven came to Olivet as a freshman student because he could major in Engineering and play football for the Tigers. After two years on the team, he decided to devote more time to his studies.
He recalls how focused he was on his textbooks and so rigid in doing his assignments. At Olivet, he was encouraged to look up from the textbooks and learn more about himself and the world around him. He also served as a teaching assistant for one year and got to know other students better.
“Dr. Joe Schroeder is a fantastic professor and mentor,” Steven says. “All of my professors genuinely wanted me to succeed in my career and in life. I’m grateful for my close connections with them and the opportunities I had to get to know them.”
New Challenges
A believer in lifelong learning, Steven was drawn to Olivet’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program even before he received his bachelor’s degree. He and some of his Olivet undergrad classmates enrolled in the accelerated program and began working on their MBA degree right after graduation. He also began a full-time job with SMC Corporation of America.
“Life was crazy at that time because of the pandemic,” Steven recalls. “I worked during the day and worked on my master’s degree at night. The accelerated program was challenging. My concentration was strategic leadership. I stayed engaged because everything we were doing in the program applies to the real world.”
Steven’s MBA education included further developing his reasoning skills, his emotional intelligence and new aspects of his situational awareness. The facts were found in his textbooks, but the applications were on the job and in his interactions with his cohort and professors.
Steven was also impressed by how he and the other students in his cohort grew together during the program. “The projects we worked on together continually built on what we were learning throughout the program,” he says. “In our cohort, we had professionals from nursing, marketing, education and other careers. We shared our different perspectives and learned from one another.”
Unexpected Benefits
Since completing his MBA degree program, Steven has been surprised by the opportunities that have opened up for him. He completed Halma’s (CenTrak’s parent company) year-long program for future leaders. He has also earned the Professional Certificate in Product Management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a LeanSix Sigma Green Belt certification from Purdue University.
“Many times, I find myself in a situation that seems familiar,” Steven says. “Then I realize that I’m remembering what I learned in my MBA program. Everything we learned is so useful and applicable to what I’m doing now. Now, I look at everything in a business way, even when I’m buying an appliance. I think like an engineer and a business manager.”
Through his job with CenTrak, Steven has already traveled to 15 countries and 46 U.S. states — all for work-related trips. “In Egypt, I monitored the Suez Canal, and I saw The Great Pyramids,” he says. “These opportunities leave me speechless.”
Steven’s advice to engineering and MBA students: “Don’t get trapped in how you think your life is going to go. Be open to what you encounter in the real world. Get out there and explore. I highly encourage everyone to continue their education. Learning keeps your mind fresh and new.”
Learn more about Olivet’s undergraduate and graduate degree programs by contacting the Office of Admissions at admissions@olivet.edu or 800-648-1463.
