Tuesday, May 19, 2026
CVTC student, Lippert employee turns curiosity into career growth
At 36, Josh Bowe knows a thing or two about adapting to change.
A 2007 graduate of Chippewa Falls Senior High School, Bowe first attended a technical college straight out of high school, graduating in 2009, before beginning a career in the dairy equipment industry. After several years working on large mechanical projects, he joined Lippert, where he has spent the past 13 years growing from design engineer to senior design engineer.
While working at Lippert, Bowe began writing small scripts to automate repetitive engineering tasks. The more he learned, the more curious he became. Wanting to strengthen his coding skills, he applied to CVTC to study software development in the IT – Software Developer program.
“I knew the scripts could be improved if I had some proper education in how to write code,” Bowe said. “I worked with my boss, and it was determined that it would be beneficial to the organization.”
His return to school quickly made an impact. Along with continuing to automate processes within the engineering department, Bowe was named CVTC’s Student Engagement, Leadership, Achievement, and Recognition (StELAR) student of the year in 2025.
As he looks to graduation, Bowe encourages fellow graduates and all students to lean into curiosity and resilience as they enter the next chapter of their lives.
“Curiosity is the driving force behind human initiative and innovation,” he said. “We are the future, and I’m excited for the future our curiosity will build.”
Bowe plans to continue his education at UW–Stout, pursuing a degree in business and management while continuing to coach the Valorant esports team at CVTC.
