Madeline Stafford’s journey from intern to full-time employee is an inspiring story–one that marks a milestone at Gentex when she became the company’s first female PCB Designer.
In the summer of 2022, Stafford began her journey at Gentex as an intern in Hardware Design, where she contributed to schematics by making edits and improvements. She returned in the fall for another internship, which gave her hands-on experience in PCB design and sparked her interest in the field.
“I loved how close everyone on the team was, and I found that designing circuit boards really challenged me in a fulfilling way,” Stafford said.
Today, her daily responsibilities begin with receiving a board outline from the Mechanical Engineering team, and a schematic from Hardware Design.
“From there, I place the parts, route the board, and collaborate closely with Electronic Assembly to design the array, all while making it look aesthetically pleasing,” Stafford explained. “I also work with EMC Engineers and the Gentex Test & Measurement (GTM) group before releasing the design.”
She works diligently to ensure efficient, high-quality board designs that support quick and accurate connections between electrical components.
Being the only woman in a technical workspace can be challenging. Stafford has faced this reality head-on and is proud to be paving the way for other women.
When I first started my internship, I felt lonely. At the time, there were only a few women working in Hardware,” she said. “Since then, quite a few women have joined, which is great to see.
In October 2023, Stafford transitioned to Gentex’s Grand Rapids location, where she’s formed close friendships with fellow women engineers. She values the supportive culture they’ve built together, grounded in professional guidance, shared experiences, and mutual encouragement.
“I would love to see more women engineers in leadership positions at Gentex because diverse perspectives lead to better decisions, stronger teams, and more innovative solutions.”
To women considering careers in male-dominated fields, Stafford offers firm encouragement: jump in and don’t hold back. She emphasizes the importance of rejecting the pressure to shrink or over-apologize.
“If you’re ever feeling overwhelmed in a male-dominated space, it helps to befriend the women around you and foster a supportive community to make engineering more inclusive.”
Stafford also credits her success to the mentorship and advocacy of her managers, Nick Harnish and Adam Desmet, whose support gave her the confidence to thrive in her role.
“Gentex is unique because of the company’s culture,” she said. “The PCB team is a wonderful group of people to work with. There’s been so much to learn, and everyone has been so patient and kind to me.”
Stafford continues to impress the PCB design team with her persistence and passion, and brings a valuable new perspective to the crew with every project she takes on.
“She has been a huge asset to Gentex in her short time here, said Harnish. “Madline and employees like here are the future of Gentex.”
