Friday, July 8th, marked the mid-point of my 2016 internship with Indium Corporation. This has been a remarkable experience.
This past Friday was known as “bragging day.” Each intern prepared a presentation and shared their work to date. Topics included the work we’ve completed, how education has prepared us, and challenges that education has least prepared us for. The presentations were 3-5 minutes in length and were addressed to our supervisors and some executives of the company.
I have never been through an experience like this. I've given small presentations before, such as experimental design projects, but those do not compare to this professional presentation in a business setting. Everyone did a tremendous job and it was interesting to see the work that the other interns are engaged in, such as quality assurance, research and development, laboratory testing, and marketing. I also enjoyed hearing about their challenges and successes. This allowed me to learn more about the company as well as the other processes that the company is involved in.
Initially, I was concerned that I couldn't speak for five minutes and remain interesting. However, as I began to put my ideas and thoughts together, I realized I actually had too much information and that I would have difficulty paring it down.The preparation allowed me to review everything I have learned, along with the challenges and the successes I have gone through. In the end, I spoke about the approaches I took with my project which included: Gantt charts, scope of work, designing, and manufacturing.
I have truly learned an immense amount of information through my internship. This would not be possible without the help and guidance from my supervisor, Adam Hagerty. He has not only taught me everything I have learned through these six weeks, but also acts as a role model for me in my path to pursue my Mechanical Engineering degree. He graduated with a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and I plan to do the same in the near future.
I look forward to the second half of my internship and am eager to see what's in store for me!
Wishing you the Best,
John