“We’re really proud to say we’re from Oklahoma. And we want to manufacture something out of Oklahoma that we can be really proud of.”
After building careers in IT and corporate settings, Stephen and Lakeisha Gunter decided it was time to take a chance on something new.
The couple’s story together began in the Navy, where they met while serving. Years later, a stint working at a foundry in Maine sparked their interest in machining and showed them how much they enjoyed creating something tangible.
“We were like, ‘This is what we want to do. This is so much fun,’” Stephen said. “It’s really nice to do hands-on work and create stuff, and we just enjoyed it.”
The couple didn’t want to have any regrets and decided they needed to “at least try to do what we want to do,” Stephen added. Their path next brought them to Francis Tuttle Technology Center, where they recently completed the Machining program.
At Francis Tuttle, they found an opportunity to work directly with equipment while developing the technical knowledge needed to succeed in manufacturing.
“We wanted a place where it wasn’t just book learning or theoretical,” Lakeisha said. “We wanted a place where we could get on the machines and apply what we were learning and see the results.”
While in the program, the Gunters said they gained a new appreciation for the skill and attention to detail required in machining.
“When you're looking at it from the outside, it doesn't look as difficult,” Stephen said. “But when you start putting your hands on it and trying to make everything so precise within the tolerances, it's not easy.”
Lakeisha said the program challenged her to approach learning and thinking differently. An analytical person, she was accustomed to teaching herself by reading and processing information. Machining, however, required her to watch someone demonstrate a process, remember the steps, and apply what she observed.
It was important to the Gunters to both complete the program because they “thought we should speak the same language,” Lakeisha said. They both want to understand the technical side of the work so they can support each other.
“It helps us because we're learning the same thing,” Lakeisha said. “We're having conversations, and I'm able to hear his perspective. He's able to hear mine. We're coming at it differently, but we're learning very deeply. And so it feels good that he can ask a question, and I can say, ‘I read this, and this is my understanding from doing this.’ And it's actually a legitimate response, and vice versa.”
Lakeisha added that their instructor, Julia Southern, encouraged the couple to develop their own skills rather than always rely on each other. Although she admitted it was tempting to ask Stephen for help, Southern pushed Lakeisha to work through challenges herself, building “a ton of confidence.”
“She’s very good about making sure that we’re separate in our learning,” Lakeisha explained.
After living in several states all across the country, the Gunters spent time researching and considering where they wanted to settle, but “we just could not find the right spot,” Lakeisha said.
That changed when they first visited Oklahoma for a conference. They enjoyed the environment so much they returned for a longer visit before deciding to make the move a couple of years ago.
“We’re really proud to say we’re from Oklahoma,” Lakeisha said. “And we want to manufacture something out of Oklahoma that we can be really proud of.”
Today, the Gunters are both working as machinists for an aerospace company, where they are gaining hands-on experience with advanced machining technology.
“It’s been a wonderful opportunity to build on what we’ve learned at Francis Tuttle and continue growing our skills in aerospace manufacturing,” Lakeisha said.