Local News from Madison
Local engineering high school students share their corporate internship experiences
The Engineering Academy students at Bob Jones High School gave the community an intriguing peek behind the industry curtains at their recent Spring 2024 Engineering Internship Semester Showcase. Delving into the sphere of real-life business, these promising engineers have been gaining invaluable experience while interning with local companies.
Overview of the Projects
Jessye Gaines, the class teacher elaborated on the purpose of the course: “The students [have completed] their internships and senior design projects with local engineering companies, and we could not be more proud to share with you all they have learned and accomplished.” For Gaines, both the businesses and the students benefit from these internships, establishing new partnerships and integrating theory with practice.
Among the new collaborations this semester were Synapse Wireless and the Rotorcraft Systems Engineering and Simulation Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Both companies gave the student interns a chance to learn firsthand about the production processes and operations within a company.
Company Partnerships
These diligent interns applied themselves in various local companies, each with different fields of specialty. Soldiering on with their respective missions, the students immersed themselves in a wide array of tasks, proving their adaptability and capability through innovative projects and tasks.
Max McGee at Synapse Wireless Inc.
Max McGee was assigned to Synapse Wireless Inc. which develops solutions aimed at reducing energy waste. Max’s internship allowed him to create and implement his own designs, pushing the boundaries of his engineering abilities.
Kylie Clark at STI Electronics Inc.
Kylie Clark worked with STI Electronics Inc., renowned for their electronic assembly and lab services. For Kylie, the internship provided an overview of the entire production process from assembly to delivery.
Mitchell Okafor at Nanoracks
Mitchell Okafor’s duties at Nanoracks, a company planning to own and operate private space stations while providing commercial access to space for small research payloads, opened the door to a whole new set of engineering possibilities.
A Successful Semester
The semester concluded with the Spring 2024 Engineering Internship Semester Showcase, where students recounted their experiences, accomplishments, and challenges during their time as interns. They presented their projects and the valuable lessons they learned during their time with the companies. The event was a testament to their success, proving the benefits of integrating practical experience with theoretical knowledge.
Looking Ahead
The collaborations exhibited during the Spring 2024 Engineering Internship Semester Showcase hint at fruitful partnerships between academia and industry in the future. As these interns continue to stride towards their professional journeys, the experiences remembered during this showcase were proven valuable not just for career growth but personal development too.