My Link Internship at
The LINK Program has been thoroughly designed and curated to allow 11th graders to take the opportunity to work in the real world - in a career path of their own choosing. There are 3 weeks off school that students are given to travel anywhere in the world and work for a professional company. In order to meet all requirements for this credit, each student must complete 30 hours as well as a LINK project.
Fig. 1
On April 25th, 2022 I started my internship in Tulsa, Oklahoma at ChemTech Sulzer. Considering the fact that the company is run by chemical and processing engineers, I was excited to express my interest in chemistry and mathematics.
Sulzer is an international chemical processing company originating in Switzerland. They design and sell parts that go inside chemical processing towers such as Post-Combustion Absorbers and Distillation Columns. At first, I was nervous that I was working for an oil and gas company but I realized that my job came with a reward - more knowledge of CO2 emissions and neutralization.
Coming into the internship I already had the necessary passion for math and sciences, but it was still really hard.
(fig.1) Above is a program that I was fortunate enough to use in order to calculate incoming feed (flue gas) and air flow composition. This website allowed me to adjust column height and diameter in order to optimize the pressure drop.
The skills I gained from this experience included self-discipline and professional work ethic. I primarily worked in my own office space with little to no supervision, and was expected to produce a certain amount of work per day. Although I took some time for myself (such as lunch and coffee breaks) I realize that It was a really good experience for me.
Some challenges I encountered were lack of motivation and excitement. Sometimes it was hard for me to stay passionate about the work I was doing so I took a 3 minute break every hour to walk around and stretch so I could keep working. This tactic actually helped a lot because it stimulated better thinking for myself.
To be honest, the majority of my internship was focused on my intellectual gain. I did however provide the company with a young mindset and gave them the chance to teach me and mentor me how they saw fit. In the future, Sulzer would benefit from more interns because they could use a more youthful perspective.
As far as my next steps go, I have not made a decision on whether or not chemical engineering is for me. I do not think I would go into Sulzers’ field of work but I am still very interested in the chemical analysis portion of said field.
Sulzer is an international chemical processing company originating in Switzerland. They design and sell parts that go inside chemical processing towers such as Post-Combustion Absorbers and Distillation Columns. At first, I was nervous that I was working for an oil and gas company but I realized that my job came with a reward - more knowledge of CO2 emissions and neutralization.
Coming into the internship I already had the necessary passion for math and sciences, but it was still really hard.
(fig.1) Above is a program that I was fortunate enough to use in order to calculate incoming feed (flue gas) and air flow composition. This website allowed me to adjust column height and diameter in order to optimize the pressure drop.
The skills I gained from this experience included self-discipline and professional work ethic. I primarily worked in my own office space with little to no supervision, and was expected to produce a certain amount of work per day. Although I took some time for myself (such as lunch and coffee breaks) I realize that It was a really good experience for me.
Some challenges I encountered were lack of motivation and excitement. Sometimes it was hard for me to stay passionate about the work I was doing so I took a 3 minute break every hour to walk around and stretch so I could keep working. This tactic actually helped a lot because it stimulated better thinking for myself.
To be honest, the majority of my internship was focused on my intellectual gain. I did however provide the company with a young mindset and gave them the chance to teach me and mentor me how they saw fit. In the future, Sulzer would benefit from more interns because they could use a more youthful perspective.
As far as my next steps go, I have not made a decision on whether or not chemical engineering is for me. I do not think I would go into Sulzers’ field of work but I am still very interested in the chemical analysis portion of said field.
My End of LINK Project
The U.S. produces around 5,000 MMT (million metric tons) of carbon dioxide per year. If my column can take out 1.98 MMT per year, then we would need 60 columns in every state in order to neutralize the emissions.
Resume
Harper Jones
OBJECTIVE
To obtain a position that allows me to explore new realms of science and responsibility in the workplace.
EXPERIENCE
Internship at Chemtech Sulzer April 25th - May 13th
Steamworks Brewery, Durango, Co - HostessJan 2021 - May 2021
August 2019 - PresentI hope to use my knowledge from Animas and apply it to real-life situations.
August 2019 - May 2021
August 2019 - Present
SOLES (Sisters on Leadership Expeditions)
SKILLS
REFERENCES
Mark Pilling, Chemtech Sulzer
Stephanie Jones, Jonesplan LLC
Bethany Bernal - Mercy Regional Medical Center
OBJECTIVE
To obtain a position that allows me to explore new realms of science and responsibility in the workplace.
EXPERIENCE
Internship at Chemtech Sulzer April 25th - May 13th
- Experienced real-life chemical engineering jobs by shadowing chemical/processing engineers.
- Began my journey to post-secondary education.
Steamworks Brewery, Durango, Co - HostessJan 2021 - May 2021
- Bus: Clean tables after customers
- Expo: Ran the correct dishes to tables in a timely manner, as well as assisted customers with their food needs.
- Host: Assesses restaurants to determine where and when customers can be seated, in a timely and efficient way.
- Cleaned and Sanitized around the office.
- Filed paperwork, organized files.
- Addressing Newsletters
August 2019 - PresentI hope to use my knowledge from Animas and apply it to real-life situations.
- 3.6 GPA
- Expected Graduation - May of 2023
August 2019 - May 2021
- Record important information from our meetings and report back to the Co-Presidents of the Student Council.
- Plan online activities for students of Animas to get connected and feel welcome.
August 2019 - Present
- Met with prospective students and parents to introduce them to our school and integrate them into our school culture.
SOLES (Sisters on Leadership Expeditions)
- I apply real-life leadership skills to outdoor activities, such as backcountry skiing, backpacking, and hiking. I learned how to lead a team through the wilderness safely and efficiently, and how to make decisions while under pressure.
SKILLS
- Curiosity
- Perseverance
- Hardworking
- Sociable
- Natural Leader
- Enthusiastic
REFERENCES
Mark Pilling, Chemtech Sulzer
Stephanie Jones, Jonesplan LLC
Bethany Bernal - Mercy Regional Medical Center