By Karenna Glover
Panama, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, and China — these are just some of the destinations Marla Moock, 25, has visited in the first nine months as a sales application engineer for port solutions at TMEIC. The Roanoke-based corporation specializes in electrical and automation systems for industrial plants.
Reflecting on her travels and the rapid opportunities presented in her role at TMEIC, Moock is overwhelmed with gratitude as she considers the journey that brought her to where she is today.
Moock grew up in southeast Roanoke and graduated from Patrick Henry High School in 2017. Coming from humble beginnings, with no one in her family having attended college, she knew the expense of higher education would be a challenge. Nonetheless, she was eager to explore the opportunities available to her.
She applied to Virginia Western Community College and was accepted into the Community College Access Program (CCAP), which covered her tuition. She also received two Educational Foundation scholarships, the American Sign Language Endowed Scholarship in memory of Laura Knight Schowe and the Educational Foundation Textbook Scholarship.
When she was introduced to the College’s Mechatronics Program and met one of the professors, she knew she had found her place at Virginia Western.
“I fell in love with that program,” Moock recalled. “I felt like I really found my niche and was able to accomplish a lot of things I never dreamed I’d have the chance to do.”
From the 3D printers to the equipment in the fabrication lab (FabLab), Moock was thrilled to gain real engineering knowledge and skills while working on projects that fueled her creativity. “Virginia Western really gets it right — giving you hands-on experiences and teaching you to work,” she said.
During her time at Virginia Western, Moock balanced several roles: She worked as a FabLab technician, served as a robotics mentor for Virginia Western’s summer camp, was an assistant at the Science Museum of Western Virginia, and completed an engineering internship at Associated Asphalt.
She joined several clubs and found opportunities to collaborate with peers from other campus organizations to meet shared goals. For example, she and another student started the FabLab Club, and they partnered with the Horticulture Club to use the 3D printers to create planter pots, which were sold as a fundraiser for both clubs.
“I found I really loved working on projects outside of classes, and I always had the support of the faculty,” she said. “It was exciting and encouraging, and an experience I don’t think would be as easy to find at a four-year school.”
Dr. David Berry, head of the Mechatronics Program and one of Moock’s professors, took notice of her passion for learning. “Marla was completely immersed in projects, so much so that it was difficult for me to stay current,” he said. “I remember her hauling project materials into the lab every day. She was so energized that she made everyone around her want to go the extra mile.”
After graduating in 2019 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Mechatronics, which prepares students to directly enter the workforce, Moock wanted to continue her education at a four-year school. But that plan was disrupted when the school she’d set her sights on didn’t accept many of the credits she earned in the applied science degree program. That’s when she turned to Amy White, dean of Virginia Western’s School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics as well as Workforce Solutions.
White had mentored Moock since she arrived at the College, observing her dedication to her academics and her proactive approach to projects. “I wanted to see her do well and meet her goals,” White said. “I knew she could be successful before she knew she could be successful.”
Moock’s drive and willingness to seek help enabled her to navigate her changing plans post-graduation. She worked for Associated Asphalt, where she began working while a student, for three years after receiving her AAS degree in Mechatronics. Meanwhile, with White’s guidance, she re-enrolled at Virginia Western to complete coursework that would transfer to a four-year school.
She graduated two years later with an Associate of Science, which is a transfer degree accepted by Virginia four-year schools. “That experience is a real testament to her character and her resilience,” White said. “She didn’t let herself be defeated, and that spirit continues to make her immensely successful.”
Moock then transferred to Sweet Briar College, where she majored in Engineering and minored in Environmental Science, graduating in 2023. Shortly after, she took a job at TMEIC, where she writes proposals for shipping ports needing new equipment for shipping cranes. TMEIC has valued her AAS in mechatronics, as it complements her BS in Engineering, she said.
Moock is full of appreciation for the investment TMEIC makes in their employees and the opportunities she has had to grow her career, including extensive international travel.
“To have come from a humble start, I never saw myself traveling the world and going places like I am,” she said. “I look back on the last seven years, beginning at Virginia Western, and realize that if any one piece of the puzzle had shifted, it could have turned out so differently. But I got here because of the incredible support and encouragement from others along the way.”
(This story was published in the Winter 2025 edition of Impact magazine, a publication of the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation.)
