Learning that I could be an integral part of saving the world from the global warming crisis, while still doing something I love was one of the best realizations in my life.
Name: DeJuan Tinsley
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Internship/Co-op Employer: Boland
Location: Gaithersburg, MD
What have been the most interesting aspects of your internship? The most exciting part of this experience occurred during my summer internship, where I was able to sit-in on a sales pitch to Boland from a company named Pure Air Geo, where they claimed to have the best geothermal system on the market that solved a plethora of problems pertaining to energy usage and carbon emissions. This was exciting because seeing all of the Boland engineers work together to critique and nitpick their product was eye opening and instructional. They instantly knew through their knowledge of thermodynamics and HVAC systems that the sellers were not telling the whole story about their product. Seeing them converse and come to a conclusion about the product as a team illustrated what it meant to be an engineer.
What campus activities or courses do you think helped you, or would have helped you, with this internship? As an engineering student there are a plethora of courses and outside activities that can help you succeed in the outside world. As an intern in the HVAC industry, thermodynamics and mechanics were the two classes that helped the most. While outside activities such as the University of Maryland chapter of the Mechanical Contracting Association was integral to my success. While in this group I learned everything about mechanical contracting and gained invaluable connections, thus improving my network of students and people in the workforce.
Was there a formal program for all interns at the company? Was peer support available throughout the internship? While at Boland there is a formal program for interns which allows each intern to explore every aspect of the company no matter your department. Also for my department, I was not micromanaged and was treated as a fellow employee which helped me gain a lot of professional experience. Peer support with a mentor and constant communication with other coworkers and fellow interns is also a huge part of the internship experience I had with Boland.
How have your career or academic goals changed as a result of this internship experience? When I first started at Boland I had no idea what I wanted to do with my career and it was my first time stepping into a professional engineering environment. However, after only a few weeks I fell in love with sustainable engineering, a field that I did not know existed prior. Learning that I could be an integral part of saving the world from the global warming crisis, while still doing something I love was one of the best realizations in my life.
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