Internship Experience 2: Terri Creech (Senior, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering)

Dreams Do Come True

One of the best things that Penn State encourages and assists students with is co-op and internships. These real world experiences help students figure out what the working world is like before they have even obtained a degree. As a senior in Industrial Engineer, I have done three internships (summer work experiences) and one co-op (semester work experience). I began with a summer internship after my freshman and sophomore years with General Electric (GE) Transportation in Erie, PA. My most recent experience was a spring co-op and summer internship with GE Energy in Minden, NV.

On my co-op and internship in Nevada, I had the chance to fulfill my dream of spending more than six months living out west. Minden (pictured below) is located at the base of the western Sierra Nevada Mountains, just 15 miles from Lake Tahoe, CA. The lifestyle that I had there was active, interesting, and challenging. Every day was different and dynamic. Through my experience, I learned so much about engineering, the western states, and myself. I was able to meet people from all over the country and travel to 16 states!

I spent 8 months as the West Region Services intern and worked for the region service manager who managed a team of 10 field engineers that lived throughout the west region. These field engineers travel to customer sites and are involved with the installation, update, and service of my company’s product. The customers are energy companies such as BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, and many power plants. In my job, I was able to travel to customer sites to assist the field engineers. For example, I travelled to Central California and worked at a power plant that provides electricity to 1/3 of central CA. Below is a picture of me inside of a gas turbine at the power plant; I’ll never turn a light switch on the same again!

The culture at GE Energy in Minden, NV was highly focused on an active lifestyle paired with hard work. Many of my coworkers were avid skiers, mountain bikers, hikers, rock climbers, and outdoor enthusiasts. In Nevada, I was able to ski every weekend through April and I learned how to mountain bike during the summer. The interns I worked with were from several different schools throughout the United States. I now have friends in Puerto Rico, Iowa, New York, Georgia, Nevada, and California! We took many trips together including Yosemite National Park, Crater Lake National Park, Zion National Park, and Redwood National Park (pictured below).

What is your dream? I urge you to follow your dreams. Take risks. Move someplace that makes you uncomfortable and embrace your surroundings- it may just change your life. Penn State Engineering can help you get anywhere you want to go, and do what you want to do. Develop your passions and remember that at the end of the day, no matter where you are, WE ARE… PENN STATE!