Last week, enFocus wrapped up its 2022 Summer Internship with a final presentation day. Each intern presented on their primary and secondary projects, showcasing the impact they created in the region and what they learned along the way.
Through these presentations, their end-of-internship reviews, and a post-internship survey, the interns shared their favorite memories and reflected on their experiences.
Saurin Thakkar, an industrial engineering graduate student studying at Purdue University, appreciated the internship cohort’s diversity and what he could learn from others. “The internship helped me connect with people from various backgrounds and different parts of the world. This was my first work experience where I’ve collaborated with people from non-engineering backgrounds. We were able to learn from each other and make better deliverables by combining our perspectives–which led to even greater impacts on our projects and in the community.”
Other interns, like Ian Sykes, a business analytics and economics student from the University of Notre Dame, relished the opportunity to get to know the region. “I really enjoyed our tour of Downtown Goshen, IN–somewhere I had never been and that I may not have otherwise visited. We toured a very diverse group of local businesses and restaurants, ranging from the local theater to the headquarters of Janus Motorcycles. I’ll definitely be going back!”
enFocus also created opportunities for interns to gain meaningful, career-related experience. Sandeep Ramachandran, another industrial engineering graduate student from Purdue, celebrated his hands-on work at a manufacturing plant. “I enjoyed observing and collecting plant operations data in real-time, which I had never done before this internship. Seeing the factory in-person and building relationships with the operators and other staff members gave me a deep insight into the practical nature of a manufacturing line–something I haven’t been able to get out of my studies just yet.”
Peyton Nielsen, an economics and American studies major at the University of Notre Dame, highlighted enFocus’ culture and work environment. “Despite being an office primarily made up of young professionals, I was amazed by the immense impact of enFocus’ projects in the community. It really is the people that make enFocus special: throughout the summer, I felt totally connected to my peers and supervisors and I wasn’t afraid to ask for help. The open office space, the planned social and professional development events, and the community of interns living at the same location helped us build camaraderie with ease. It truly was a wonderful environment in which to work and grow.”
These reflections are shared by current staff members–including Prabodh Sonalkar, one of seven previous enFocus interns-turned-Fellows who were able to supervise interns this summer. “I was an intern last summer at enFocus. It was an amazing experience where I not only formed close connections with talented students from across the country, but also was able to take ownership of projects that continue to create meaningful impact in the South Bend - Elkhart region. That experience is what drove me to become a Fellow, and I was fortunate to be able to supervise several of these amazing interns this summer. I hope they felt as though they belonged in this community, as I did, and realize how much impact they’ve made in the span of just 8 weeks.”
We’ve really enjoyed getting to know and collaborating with the enFocus interns this summer–and though it’s always sad to see them go, we hope to see many of them back in the office in the future.
In the meantime, we look forward to providing students with even more opportunities to intern with enFocus. With the Fall semester approaching, we’re looking for candidates to support enFocus projects on a part-time basis. Apply here if you’re interested–and don’t forget to visit us at a career fair to learn more about employment opportunities at enFocus!