Search - Experience Matters - Grand Valley State University

Summer Co-op

Major: Electrical Engineering I worked with the office group to help design prototypes, repair and maintain part testers for the production floor, worked with Altium to design schematics and board layouts. I also made testers for ITW so they could test some of the boards we sent them. Along with working with the office group I also helped out the production floor with creating test fixtures and programming and testing parts.

Electrical Engineering Co-op 1

Major: Electrical Engineering Most of the tasks and projects that were completed included C programming, hardware testing, and the interaction between software and hardware. Test engineering is important for keeping manufacturing error to a minimum.

MFP Automation Engineering Co-Op Semester

Major: Mechanical Engineering I spent time in our production shop learning basic shop practices including milling, welding, making hoses for power units, testing the units, as well as prepping for paint. During my time in engineering, I gained more experience with AutoCAD for our 2D drawings of power units. With more part familiarization, I was able to begin quoting my own projects.

Cascade Engineering Co-op

Major: Mechanical Engineering I worked in the CFI (center for innovation) department where most of the engineers are located. However, much of the work for my projects required me to go to other plants on the campus to view either parts or the work cells for different machine presses. I worked mainly on two projects, however I did help with some other testing studies as well. One of my main projects was designing and building an inspection table for one of the machines. The boxes of parts would sit on the table to make it easier for the supervisor of the press to inspect the parts. This project helped me gain a lot of problem solving skills as the project was almost entirely self led. The other main project I worked on was helping create a tool for some of our customers. Our trash containers get shipped out in stacks of 10 and often are hard to pry apart. There was already a tool in place that helped de-stack these containers, however, it was not very user friendly. Along with another engineer, I helped create a new tool that is much more user friendly to de-stack the containers.

Internship at Fox Hills Golf and Banquet Center

Major: Sport Management I was responsible for helping with setting up the various golf outings that we had at the course. Once the outing or tournament was completed, I assisted with scoring the events. As league coordinator, I helped with scheduling leagues and collecting league payments from all the golfers that made up the individual leagues. As Director of Junior Golf, I was able to communicate with parents and participants about league schedules and rules. I was able to help and organize both the junior leagues and the adult leagues so that they were able to play every week throughout the summer.

Co-op

Major: Mechanical Engineering I have spent a majority of my time working on the architectural mechanical systems in universities throughout west Michigan including GVSU. I have designed, commissioned. and coordinated the mechanical systems that help buildings operate efficiently and conserve energy.

Intern

Major: Sport Management I am working with the YMCA inner city baseball/softball program. I have done everything and anything that is needed of me. I go to fields and make sure everything is running smooth, I pass out food to kids, I register kids, I update rosters, and I recruit players and coaches.

Mechanical Engineering Co-op

Major: Mechanical Engineering Throughout the summer I was able to work with several departments in order to complete order entry tasks, cost analysis drawings using AutoCAD, order-completion drawings, and drawing modifications. I also had the opportunity to travel to Mexico for two weeks to aid in part identification. All of these tasks helped further my knowledge of products within the company as well as how to use different programs in order to properly complete my job.

MHSAA Intern

Major: Sport Management Daily responsibilities and skills will be handling daily correspondence, insurance planning, officials training, tournament scheduling and policy writing

Engineering Co-op

Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering Tasks include print creation for sales and production purposes. Includes quality checking and some product development

Working as a contractor

Major: Electrical Engineering This semester was split into two halves. The first half had me working at Disher on small customer or stewardship projects. I also spent time during this semester learning the coding language of Python. The second half of the semester I spent working as a contractor for one of Disher's clients as a components engineer. I helped the client's components engineer transition the company to a new database software and check their old database for errors.

Campaign Internship

Major: Political Science Cutting turf for canvassing operations Scheduling events Planning Fundraisers Handled Social Media Operations

My time at the Kent County Defender's Office

Major: Political Science As a student investigator I was tasked with assisting the attorneys in researching cases, meeting with clients and preparing documents. Much of my time was spent doing intakes, which is a procedure that happens whenever a new client comes in. This consists of interviewing the client and discussing their charges with them. I was also required to prepare the necessary court documents for the preliminary hearings and other documents used by the attorneys.

Refugee Resettlement Internship

Major: International Relations As a refugee resettlement intern, I assisted case workers in both the Resettlement and Matching Grant programs to provide services for newly-arrived refugees. This included teaching the financial literacy curriculum, providing bus training, arranging medical appointments, shadowing home visits, enrolling clients in ESL classes, completing case review of closed files, and much more.

GMCH Co-op 2

Major: Mechanical Engineering I worked on completing testing that was requested by the other engineers. Some specific tests were system response and component response of a new valve train system; component durability and robustness benchmarking of alternative materials on cam phasing components, and some EOT component measurements for the diesel engine programs.

Dornerworks Second Rotation

Major: Computer Engineering I work on an industrial appliance project . We designed the hardware and software for a module system for over 40 machines. I mainly did unit testing and making tools for future use. I also modified the source code where necessary.

Engineering Co-op Intern

Major: Mechanical Engineering This semester, I designed fixtures that are being used to create one of the monitor mounting systems that we sell. These fixtures allow the systems to be built in a faster and safer manner than was previously used. I also worked on designs for a cart that has a magnet in it so that hospitals can use tablets on the cart, move the carts around and not have the tablets fall off.

Hardware Testing & Software

Major: Computer Engineering My two main tasks were to validate prototype hardware of the next generation of Limelight; as well as develop software utilities to help improve the overall system.

JR Automation Quoting Co-op

Major: Mechanical Engineering My tasks included everything from customer facility visits, concept development, and cost development, to presenting these ideas and costing to lead managers and then to engineers from the companies I would be submitting these quotes to. I was also able to work with our research and development team to develop and present innovative solutions to customers requesting technology that hadn't been previously tested.

Software at Dornerworks

Major: Computer Engineering I work on the Dexter Laundry project. We designed the hardware and software for a module system for over 40 washers and dryers. I mainly did unit testing and making tools for future use. I also modified the source code where necessary.

Koops Mechanical Engineering Co-op

Major: Mechanical Engineering As a mechanical engineering co-op I was placed as the lead mechanical engineering on projects, assigned to work on engineering changes for machines that have been shipped to the production plant, traveled to several productions plants, worked one-on-one with several customers, participated in and lead design reviews, and worked on designs with other mechanical engineers. Koops ensures that their co-ops are treated as mechanical engineers as soon as they enter the workplace. I would say that my experience was nothing short of having a full-time engineering position at Koops.

Co-op #2

Major: Mechanical Engineering This Past Semester I completed the tooling of a screw machine for a new job launch, I executed several design projects (tool holders, wash fixtures, and custom automation components), and improved an automated sorting system which I designed and implemented during my first co-op experience. I was also given the opportunity to represent the company during a customer visit and an out of state supplier visit.

Learning to Design Machines

Major: Mechanical Engineering I was responsible for designing portions of machines, detailing prints for parts that were to be made, completing design checks for other engineers, supporting builders, and completing redlines for completed jobs.

Co-Op

Major: Computer Engineering As a Co-op software developer at SalesPad, I participate in the development of a real-world software; a software that will actually be used by businesses in the USA and around the world. My tasks went from fixing software issues to develop completely new features for the last born web app from SalesPad.

Winter Semester Co-Op (Round 2)

Major: Mechanical Engineering 3D printing is a daily task that I've been assigned to. Running the 3D printer is a big responsibility, because without it, the prototypes being built in the advance prototype department (my department) would come to a halt. I've also done a lot of benchmarking, where I take data and tear down new production mirrors. It's a nice task that really lets me appreciate the engineering put into outside mirrors that a regular person couldn't see. It also helps me learn more about Magna Mirrors and what we specialize in and try to improve. I have mostly been working on projects where lighting is the main objective. These projects are really fun because of the challenge it gives me. Lighting is a really complex concept that I have little understanding of, but working with an engineer over the past couple months in my department has allowed me to learn much more.