{"id":11883,"date":"2026-04-14T12:45:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T16:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/?p=11883"},"modified":"2026-05-08T17:52:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T21:52:56","slug":"from-classroom-to-general-motors-how-a-siemens-sponsored-pcb-course-helped-one-student-see-the-bigger-picture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/2026\/04\/14\/from-classroom-to-general-motors-how-a-siemens-sponsored-pcb-course-helped-one-student-see-the-bigger-picture\/","title":{"rendered":"From classroom to General Motors: How a Siemens sponsored PCB course helped one student see the bigger picture\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When students first touch real PCB design tools, the \u201caha\u201d moment often comes fast. For Margaret \u201cMaggie\u201d Frachioni, a semiconductor hardware engineer at General Motors and former student in the Siemens sponsored PCB design course at Wayne State University, the biggest surprise was how quickly classroom assumptions collide with real constraints. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThings are a lot more complex than you think they are, but at the same time they\u2019re a lot simpler.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That mix of complexity and clarity became a theme throughout Maggie\u2019s experience using Siemens PCB design software in a course sponsored by PCEA<\/a>, with instruction support from Steph Chavez and Wayne State faculty.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why the jump from school tools to industry tools feels so different<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maggie\u2019s earliest PCB exposure came from a short undergrad experience using a different tool, focused more on basic navigation than professional workflow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe took maybe two weeks of using DesignSpark\u2026 and we made very, very simple boards and not a lot of energy was needed because we didn\u2019t really have any constraints.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, when the course moved into Siemens PCB design tools, she felt the shift immediately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEspecially with all of the cool gadgets it has, it\u2019s pretty high tech and it was very cool.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More importantly, it revealed the invisible systems behind \u201cjust placing parts.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou start to realize how many rules and how many checks and how much testing goes into the boards and so you gain more of an appreciation of PCB layouts and people who work on circuits because it\u2019s very, very technically complex.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lesson most students do not learn in circuit theory<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maggie came into the course with a solid undergrad foundation in circuit theory, but PCB design forced a broader view. It was no longer only about what flows through a schematic. It was about the entire physical environment of the board. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re designing a board, it\u2019s not just what is going through the wires you\u2019re creating. It is the whole environment of the board.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One quote stuck with her from a talk hosted by Daniel Beeker because it reframed how she thinks about performance and interaction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not in the traces, it\u2019s in the spaces between the traces. And that\u2019s where all the communication and all of the noise is happening and that\u2019s how the circuits are actually working.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Maggie, that was the pivot from one-dimensional thinking to a more complete understanding of what is really happening on a board. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think I learned a lot more about\u2026 all the interactions that are happening between the semiconductors as opposed to just the one-dimensional electrical circuits that you\u2019re working with.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the DRC struggle teaches you about professional workflows<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maggie had previously described the DRC process as intimidating at first. But pushing through it made the \u201cwhy\u201d behind layout decisions more concrete. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving to go through that process is sort of what woke you up to what was going on in the PCB ecosystem.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, design rules sound obvious. You cannot overlap pads. You cannot cross traces on the same routing plane. Then the real-world logic arrives. In her view, DRC was more than a checklist. It explained why professional teams make the tradeoffs they do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving to go through the DRC checks and having to understand the design of the board\u2026 it explains why boards are made in a certain way and how different groups in the professional environment interact with each other when they\u2019re trying to put all of this onto one plane.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why learning Siemens tools early can change a student\u2019s trajectory<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For students considering PCB design, Maggie pointed to something the industry keeps repeating: the workforce gap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are projecting to have huge gaps in workforce for PCB design and circuit design in the next 10 to 20 years.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To her, early exposure accomplishes two things. It transfers knowledge from retiring experts, and it helps students see the field as a real and stable path. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great way to one, get people enthusiastic about it and to spread that knowledge down from people who are now retiring.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it creates a practical signal that matters to students thinking about long-term stability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt introduces the interest of maybe I should pursue this and there is job security in that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A course that builds confidence by building vocabulary<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maggie credited the course with helping her participate more confidently in professional conversations at GM. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was one of those experiences where you learned a lot of the things that you don\u2019t even know existed.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when she did not fully master every topic, the breadth helped her communicate with specialists and senior engineers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause of the wide net that it cast\u2026 I feel more confident being in my role and talking to technical specialists and senior engineers and being able to understand the verbiage that they\u2019re using.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That understanding matters in day-to-day work, especially when timelines and process complexity collide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel like I can fit into those conversations a little more because I sort of have a better grasp of what\u2019s going on.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What made the Wayne State, PCEA, and Siemens collaboration stand out<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maggie described the program as well-rounded, not only because of the tool exposure, but because of the way the course brought industry and learning together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think they did a great job.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She highlighted the instruction team and how the course pulled in broader context, including industry engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think the staff, so Doctor Basu who co-taught with Steph Chavez, I think they did a really good job of cooperating with each other and also pulling in other companies and getting to offer fab tours to get the full understanding of the course and the material.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201csmall world\u201d moment that made the industry feel accessible<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of Maggie\u2019s most memorable moments was realizing the Siemens support network was not abstract. It was a real person, and that person carried across her student experience and her professional role. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSteph asked Rob Blakeslee to step in and help walk us through the first few steps in getting to learn PADS Pro and he was really great.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She reached out multiple times while learning the tool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI reached out to him several times for additional help because I was struggling with the tool at first.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, she realized it was the same person supporting Siemens tools at GM. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s actually the guy who\u2019s one of our main Siemens supports at GM. So, like, I see him in the office all the time.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That overlap made her feel like she was entering a real community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s fun because it\u2019s one of those moments where it\u2019s like, wow, the world\u2019s so small. Like I\u2019m getting to know all these people and I\u2019m like a part of the PCB world.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maggie\u2019s view of the profession and where it is going<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maggie described the field with a combination of respect and curiosity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have a lot of respect, a lot of respect for professional PCB designers and circuit designers because so much technical knowledge goes into the board design and so much collaboration goes into it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also sees the growing influence of AI as inevitable, but not a replacement for the human role. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI definitely foresee more influence and more collaboration with artificial intelligence.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But she drew a clear boundary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think AI could ever take over the full process of PCB design. So, I think there\u2019s always going to be the human aspect of the profession.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most valuable takeaway: people and support systems<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When asked what mattered most, Maggie broke it into two parts: the community and the course structure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne was the people that we worked with. Steph has done a really great job of pulling me and I\u2019m sure many of my classmates into the social world of PCB design and adjacent professions, and so that\u2019s made me feel very welcome and very supported.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That sense of welcome is not just nice. It builds confidence to pursue the field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s one of the reasons that I feel more confident maybe pursuing the career of PCB design. Because I know that I\u2019ll have that support system who are happy to have me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second part was the instruction and accessibility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe material itself of the course was planned out really, really well and it was presented in a way that\u2026 made it easy to learn.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also emphasized how available the team was for questions beyond the basics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAmar and Steph was always very available to answer questions and even go out of the way to answer stretch questions or stretch situations that we would ask about in class.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advice to students interested in PCB design<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maggie\u2019s starting point is simple. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think asking questions is the best way to start.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means asking universities what courses exist, asking colleagues in the workplace, and leaning on the community you build along the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSiemens has so much, so many videos and so much information that you guys have on your website.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her recommendation for the course is direct. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would definitely recommend the class to people who are interested in this or just curious about what it is or why it should be interesting.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And her broader advice is the mindset that keeps students moving forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPursue information that you\u2019re interested in because it\u2019s definitely available and out there and there are people who really want to talk about it.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Learn about Maggie\u2019s experience using Siemens PCB design software in a course sponsored by Siemens alongside PCEA, with instruction support from Steph Chavez and Wayne State faculty.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110515,"featured_media":11884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spanish_translation":"","french_translation":"","german_translation":"","italian_translation":"","polish_translation":"","japanese_translation":"","chinese_translation":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[2116,113,1730,2117],"industry":[],"product":[677,2038],"coauthors":[1847],"class_list":["post-11883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-learning-pcb-design","tag-pcb-design","tag-pcb-design-best-practices","tag-pcea","product-pads-pro-student-edition","product-xpedition-standard"],"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/65\/2026\/04\/Maggie_Frachioni_1280x720.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/110515"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11883"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11883\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11967,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11883\/revisions\/11967"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11883"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=11883"},{"taxonomy":"product","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product?post=11883"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/electronic-systems-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=11883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}