UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- Five Penn State New Kensington sophomores earned paid internships this year at three nationally-known companies -- Siemens, Alcoa and R J Lee Group.
Computer science and mathematics major Zak Hudak and electro-mechanical engineering technology major Lynsie Headly landed internships at Siemens Industry, which is located in the Westmoreland Research and Business Park that straddles the boundary of the townships of Upper Burrell and Washington. Chemical engineering major Tanya Leeman secured a spot at Alcoa Technical Center in Upper Burrell. Electro-mechanical engineering technology majors Jim Serra and Meng Huo Tang were recruited by the R J Lee Group, which is headquartered in Monroeville.
Siemens focuses on growth through innovative and cost competitive power system design and manufacturing. Alcoa is a research and development complex and employs an estimated 600 people. R J Lee is a 200-person company that develops solutions to scientific problems. All three companies have locations throughout the United States.
GREAT programThe students merited their positions through the campus’ GREAT (Growing Regional Excellence through Experience, Academics and Training) program. Entering its fifth year, this initiative matches promising engineering and Information Sciences and Technology (IST) students with local internship opportunities. The GREAT program is a partnership between the New Kensington campus, the Penn State Electro-Optics Center and industries within the greater Pittsburgh region.
“I have learned so much from the GREAT program, more than I had expected,” said Hudak, a native of Vandergrift. “I have learned about how to present myself properly to others, how to network, and how to interview.”
GREAT meetings are designed to introduce students to the experience of the workforce and its functions. Students visit companies and attend job/internship fairs. Unlike many other programs, GREAT provides qualified engineering students with the opportunity to build professional skills and experiences starting as soon as their first year at the campus. The advantages of freshmen internships are numerous.
“Another big thing that the GREAT program does is let us create resumes and give those resumes to partnering companies,” said Hudak, a member of the campus' Honors program. “It gave me the opportunity to interview with companies that were interested in me via my resume, which is how I got my Siemens internship.”
For more about the GREAT program, visit www.nk.psu.edu/GREATprogram
Siemens internshipHudak is a systems analyst working with the business processing and management branch at Siemens. Systems analysts are information technology professionals who specialize in analyzing, designing and implementing information systems. They use analysis and design techniques to solve business problems using information technology.
“I work on developing tools for data processing, perform data analysis and collection, and derive rules and establish logic set forth by product specifications,” Hudak said. “These tools are meant to organize data and assist in data analysis so that prices, costs, and product specifications may be validated and prepared for load into Siemens' costing/pricing applications.”
Hudak’s systems analysis internship work dovetails with his class work at the campus. What he learned from his campus professors is germane to his learning experiences under his Siemen’s supervisor, Thomas Motkowski, manager of global process, tools and configuration. It is a process of theory and practice that cuts both ways.
“My math and computer science classes are all about working with logic and rule driven processes, manipulation, programming, analysis, and error checking,” Hudak said. “These are the skills that I am learning every day at Siemens. I have already applied what I learned in my classes to what I am doing at Siemens. Now, I can apply what I have learned from Siemens to my classes when I start classes in the fall.”
While GREAT internships can be year-round and last up to four years, Hudak’s internship concludes in late August. Logistics are the culprit. He is moving on to Penn State University Park for the fall semester to finish his bachelor’s degree studies. Although his Siemen’s experience was short-lived, it was productive for Hudak’s workplace development.
“The internship taught me many technical skills such as analysis, programming, data manipulation, problem solving, and how to conduct source control,” Hudak said. “The internship has also taught me many soft skills as well. I now have a better understanding of how projects are conducted, how to more effectively communicate my ideas, and how a professional workplace operates in general.”
Hudak’s decision to start his degree work at the New Kensington campus and finish at the University Park campus is a commonplace occurrence among Penn State students. Unlike Hudak, most stay at the campus for two years as a part of Penn State's “2+2” program. The initiative enables students to take two years of general education and pre-major courses at New Kensington and then transition to University Park or another Penn State campus to complete the degree program. It's the most common path to a Penn State degree as approximately 60 percent of students choose the program each year.
In Hudak’s case, even though his stay at the campus was for one year, he took advantage of the available resources to make his skills more marketable. New Kensington’s courses included the GREAT program and a Siemens internship, which provided a solid base for Hudak to build a budding career.
“In addition to all the skills that Siemen’s has taught me, being able to have an internship right after my first year of college gets me started on a path of professional development very early,” Hudak said. “This is an opportunity that many other students do not have. It is also helping me pay for college.”
For more about the 2+2 Plan, visit www.nk.psu.edu/2+2
Hudak on campusA graduate of Kiski Area High School, Hudak was drawn to the New Kensington campus not only by the GREAT program but by the overall quality of the academic programs and faculty and the small-campus ambiance. With an enrollment of 750 students, the campus provides opportunities for one-on-one engagements with professors.
“I specifically chose Penn State New Kensington because it is much smaller than University Park, and the faculty was able to provide more specialized education,” Hudak said. “I also just really enjoy the atmosphere, professors, and staff at the campus. They were unmatched by any other place I was looking into going.”
When he was not in the classroom or at Siemens, Hudak was active on campus and in the community. His extracurricular activities included joining the Lion Ambassadors, volunteering for a campus community service project in Puerto Rico (Alternative Spring Break) and working as a math tutor on-and off-campus. In the community, the Vandergrift native is a member of the Kiski Valley Community Band and an assistant scoutmaster.Of the 25 student clubs on campus, Hudak migrated toward the Lion Ambassadors to share his love of the campus with others. Lion Ambassadors personify the campus and are tasked with making a good first impression on visitors. Club members work closely with the Enrollment Management Office to promote the campus to prospective students. They lead campus tours and assist with other recruitment activities. Hudak embraced the responsibility of being the face and voice of the campus.
“I love meeting new people and giving them my personal perspective of Penn State,” Hudak said.
He highlighted his personal perspective when he gave campus tours. Visitors were treated to a story about his most memorable day at the campus, which involves a faculty member. After getting a high score on his first matrices test, Hudak was given a book on number theory by Kwang-Shang Wang, assistant professor of mathematics. When Hudak needed time during the holiday break to finish it, he asked Wang if he could hold on to it for a little while longer.
“He told me that he didn't lend it to me, he gave it to me,” Hudak said. “I was dumbfounded and so thankful. I can't imagine many other places that a student can have an experience like that. That is how the professors and staff at Penn State New Kensington are. They really do care. Talk about reinforcement.”
Hudak, who carries a 4.0 grade-point average, was the recipient a $3,500 William and Claudia Harbaugh Trustee Matching Scholarship. The $50,000 Harbaugh scholarship was created by Bill and Claudia Harbaugh of Greensburg to provide financial assistance to undergraduate students from Westmoreland County who are enrolled at the campus.
Campus scholarships are awarded to eligible students on the basis of academic promise, leadership qualities, community service and financial need. Last year, new and returning students at the New Kensington campus earned a total of $538,000 in scholarship money, $304,000 from private donors and $234,000 from the University. The campus has 54 scholarship endowments, annual gifts and program awards that funded 225 students this year with an average award of $2,400 per student.
For more about campus scholarships, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/Giving/endowments.htm
For more about campus admissions, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/Admissions/default.htm