Although all four of them took different paths, the Moehring/Tannian family came to Kettering University to make a difference in all of their futures. The three siblings and their mother knew the University would help set them up for success.

The journey is now coming to a close for Molly Tannian ‘18 as she is set to walk across that stage during the June 16 Kettering University Commencement Ceremony. Her three children, Andrew Moehring ‘18, Megan Moehring ‘19 and Tim Moehring ‘22, will be cheering her on in the same way they have always supported each other throughout the years.

“We can all relate to each other and what we are going through. We are able to help each other out,” Tannian said. “Kettering will change all our stars.” 

Tannian and her children first learned of Kettering when the siblings were all young and living down the street from Ray Rivard ‘89. They all clearly remember the day he came home from work driving a Dodge Viper. Rivard took Tim for a ride in the Viper, and that began the love and commitment to Kettering, then General Motors Institute.

When the siblings were in high school they met Larry Dickson ‘77, who was extremely successful and owned several companies. All three Moehring siblings were welcomed into his family, and he became a major role model and father figure to them.

“All the people I met who graduated from Kettering had much more financially successful lives than I did. I wanted more for my kids. I wanted them to have Kettering success,” said Tannian, who is finishing up her master’s degree in Operations Management at Kettering.

The siblings came in reverse order from youngest to oldest. Tim applied right out of high school and was accepted but changed his mind mid-senior year and chose to join the U.S. Navy, as a Diver. After rising through the ranks to a 1st Class Navy Diver his dream of attending Kettering never faded. Tim spent 10 years serving in the Navy before coming to Kettering. Megan also applied and was accepted right out of high school, but she joined the Navy as an electronics technician serving for five years and then came to Kettering with the GI Bill starting in 2015.

Paths to Kettering

Andrew was the first in the family to attend Kettering.

“Coming to a school that was 100 percent STEM was a dream. The science focus of it brought me here. I had always been interested in science and engineering,” said Andrew, who studied Mechanical Engineering. “The co-op where I actually got to work was a bonus.”

Being the first on campus and having his family spread all over the world, Andrew decided to join Greek Life at Kettering. Sigma Chi gave him a sense belonging, a true brotherhood.

“There was a really familiar sense and mutual respect. You could tell that everyone cared for each other. The family aspect is what pulled me into Sigma Chi. I was close to my brother growing up and I didn’t have that with him being in the Navy and on the other side of the world,” Andrew said.  

Megan was the next to come to Kettering. She did a lot of work as a mechanic on submarines in the Navy, so when she came to Kettering she chose to study Mechanical Engineering with Biology and Biochemistry minors, while also pursuing the pre-med course of study to help her prepare for medical school, as she is determined to be a surgeon.

All the things she was drawn to at Kettering when she was in high school still applied. Megan also joined Greek Life while at Kettering.

“My brother paved the way. I like the fast paced STEM curriculum,” she said. “I liked that it was a small school. You get a chance to know everybody. It’s kind of like a family. Transitioning from military life to civilian life is difficult, and that aspect was extremely helpful.”

Right out of high school, Tim didn’t feel like he could afford college or that he was ready to jump right into education. He felt that the Navy was the best option for him. Both Tim and Megan said the Navy helped guide their path and prepare them for Kettering.

“I’m finally not bored in class. I have great conversations with other students and professors. There’s no room for fluff. I really like the pace of everything. I’ve become heavily involved in the T-space leadership and enjoy being around peers with similar interests,” said Tim, who is majoring in Electrical Engineering. “The comparative difference between Kettering and other schools is in other schools students would fill in from the back to the front of the classroom. At Kettering, the classrooms fill in from the front to the back. People care about what they are learning.”

Tannian came to Kettering six months before Tim arrived on campus. Raising her kids around such successful Kettering alumni drove her to want that for her kids and eventually for herself. She was an inner-city science teacher before coming to Kettering.

She loves teaching and she loves science, but she wanted more financial security for her life. Before Tannian’s mother died last year, her mother told her she wanted more for Tannian’s life. This was a driving force, but she didn’t know what direction to take at first.

That’s where her kids stepped in to help guide her to Kettering, as well.

“She has a very analytical and scientific mindset,” Andrew said.

With her organization and her very good people skills, she’s ideal for science and management graduate studies, he said.

“I didn’t know if I could even succeed at Kettering as I am dyslexic and had a stroke years ago, but my kids encouraged me and pushed me. I wanted to change my stars,” Tannian said. “I saw where they were going and I wanted to be a part of that. It’s been a challenge and at times very difficult, but it is all going to be worth it.”