I'm often asked how I became aware of Indium Corporation and its summer internship program. I learned through word of mouth from a previous intern, one of my best friends, Tory King. Tory said he had a great experience and encouraged me to apply for this summer. I was fortunate enough to get the internship and now I am very grateful to Tory. I decided that I would interview him to show how Indium Corporation's internship has helped him going forward.

First, a little bio on Tory. He graduated from New Hartford High School in 2013 with highest honors while also being a part of National Honor Society, symphonic band, and jazz band all while playing baseball, soccer, wrestling, and diving. He will be a senior this Fall at Notre Dame University where he will be getting a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Aerospace. He has an impressive resume which led to him getting the internship at Indium Corporation last summer. Tory is currently in Charleston, South Carolina working as a Mechanical Engineering Intern for TRU Simulation + Training where he focuses on redesigning aircraft components for training applications. After he graduates he hopes to end up working in the space industry.

I asked Tory a couple of questions regarding his time at Indium Corporation and for some advice for other students.

"Did you notice any differences between your Indium experience and other internships?"

He said that there were a couple differences between Indium Corporation and his other experiences. First off he said that his other internships did not get involved in the community like Indium Corporation. He said he liked that, at Indium Corporation, he participated in multiple STEM events and was a part of the media day press conference at the end of his internship. Indium Corporation has only improved on this since he left. For example, the Quality of Life Sweep that we participated in with the Mayor of Utica, along with STEM events and another media day. He said that getting involved in the community is something that he really enjoyed and showed that Indium Corporation really cares about the community and the development of the internship program. Another difference he saw was that at his current internship he gets a lot of interaction with other interns at work and outside of work. He said his group of interns have a summer-long project that they're all collectively working on which he enjoys because it is a fun work environment. Since Indium Corporation's interns are placed into different functional disciplines, it does not lend itself to that type of collective work. The fact that Tory's internship is away from home he gets to live with another intern which positions the interns to build relationships outside of work.

"Do you have any advice for students trying to set up an internship?"

Tory said the key is to get your name out there and apply to as many opportunities as possible. He said, "People are often your best resource when it comes to finding a job." This is extremely true; networking is something that will prove to be invaluable when finding a job. He also stressed the importance of applying to as many as possible because it will get you comfortable with the process and the interview. The more interviews you do the better you are. I know this is true because it happened to me. I applied for a lot of the internship spots here at Indium Corporation and I got three interviews. I did not get the first one. I got a follow up interview for the second one. And I ended up getting the third one which proves that once you get your experience and confidence it will help your interviewing skills.

"How has your schooling helped you with your internships or vice versa?"

He said that the CAD modeling software from school gave him experience coming into using a similar software (Inventor) at Indium Corporation. He liked that he had to use Inventor because it gave him new modeling/drawing skills that he has used in the Notre Dame Rocket Team and throughout his current internship.

"How has Indium Corporation helped your career and do you have any improvements for the internship program?"

Tory said that he believes his experience at Indium Corporation got him the internship that he has this summer. He remembers pointing out projects that he worked on at Indium Corporation in his interview. When he had specific instances where he had a real impact on Indium Corporation it set him above the rest because of the real hands-on work that Indium Corporation provides. The field that he is in now is the field that he has a true passion for so he is extremely grateful for Indium Corporation for giving him the experience in landing a job in an industry that he sees himself working in. His improvements for the internship program included having a group project and having more interaction between the interns. Indium Corporation has definitely enhanced its internship program in just a year because each week we have a lunch and learn where we see all the interns and get to eat lunch together.

Overall, Tory said that his experience at Indium Corporation was great and it absolutely helped him get into the field of his choice. Tory is an extremely smart and driven kid; I hope the best for him in his internship and I know he will definitely be doing big things in his career.