Inspiring Graduate: Lukas David, B.S. Packaging

Inspiring Graduate: Lukas David (’24)

• Hometown: Johnson Creek
• Degree: B.S. Packaging
• Minor: Sustainability

When he was in high school, planning ahead for his college career, Lukas David knew he liked UW-Stout’s polytechnic advantage and its approach to hands-on learning. His parents are alumni, as well as family friends. 

“When I came to visit UW-Stout, I fell in love with the campus, the buildings, and the size of the school excited me. I knew in my gut that I had to come to college here,” he said. 

“UW-Stout is a polytechnic university. I am a very hands-on learner, and I knew that Stout would guide me to my career.”

David earned his bachelor's in packaging and crossed the commencement stage on Dec. 14, along with 510 UW-Stout graduates.

He was hired before graduation as a packaging engineer for Sartori Cheese, an artisan cheese company in Plymouth, where he completed an internship last summer. 

How well has UW-Stout prepared you to work in your field?

UW-Stout has prepared me very well to work in the field. In the labs, I learned by doing. The packaging program sets up students for success by helping students accomplish anything they want.

As well as my internship at Sartori Cheese, I also completed an internship at BoldtSmith Packaging Consultants, working with packaging engineers on various projects.

My UW-Stout experience has changed my confidence level in myself. Throughout my time here, I have understood that to have confidence in yourself is not a bad thing and that you should have confidence to better yourself. Nobody has your back quite like you do. 

How did your involvement on and off campus impact your experience?

I was involved with the Stout Packaging Association for all four 1/2 years of my college career, serving as the technology chair and treasurer. With the Stout Packaging Association, we hosted Packaging Jamboree 2024, or Pack Jam, an annual student-led international three-day conference.

This was very special because we learned what it takes to properly run an event. The part I was most involved with was the Student Packaging Competition at the conference. Student teams were given 28 boxes to stack on a pallet and were given difficult tasks, gathering more boxes in the one-hour competition. The event was seen as a success, and I was glad to be a part of it. 

I also was a part of the Alfresco Outing Club. We went on camping and hiking trips throughout the semester. I have been the president for two semesters for that club.

I have been fortunate enough to win nine awards during my time at UW-Stout. In February 2024, I worked on a team with packaging student Ethan Myers and video production student Zach Hoffmire in a competition sponsored by Kellanova, a division of Kellogg’s, to improve the Pringles potato crisps tube. 

Our innovative design won first place in an invitation-only field of eight other university teams from the U.S., Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom. We received a congressional certificate from Rep. Van Orden for our win of the Accessible Pringles Can. 

In 2023, Ethan, Zach and I created sustainable paperboard packaging for lip balm, for which we won the Paperboard Packaging Alliance student competition. We also won the Institute of Packaging Professionals’ 48HR REPACK student design competition, an Institute of Packaging Professionals challenge, with our Modular E-commerce Box.

Other highlights were four IOPP Student Ameristar Awards, the highest number of awards that a team has ever received during the history of the Ameristar Awards. 

I feel very fortunate to experience the recognition from the packaging industry and thank UW-Stout for allowing students to strive for success.

What challenges did you face in earning your degree?

The biggest challenge that I faced during my career at Stout was time management. Since I was involved with multiple clubs and projects at any given time, I sometimes struggled to find time to do everything that I wanted to do. 

What are you most proud of as you finish your degree?

I am proud of what I was able to accomplish, and the friendships that I made along the way. These are things that I will look back on for the rest of my life, and I am very grateful to have the experience I have had.

I would like to thank everyone who supported me, including the professors of the packaging program, for their support of all students. Keep up the good work; students do notice the exciting things going on in the packaging department.

I am proud to have UW-Stout as my alma mater.