Amber Beutler

Major: Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Specialization: Land and Water Resources Engineering

Company: Schlumberger (Oil Industry) - Liberty, Texas

Last summer Amber Beutler found herself camping out in an unusual location...at an oil rig.

That might not seem like an obvious place to find an intern specializing in land and water resources, but according to Amber there are a lot of similarities.

"The theory of this job deals with extracting natural resources (oil and gas) out of the ground.  ABE (specifically LWR) deals with the same concept but focusing on water," she explained.

Amber's responsibilities were to organize and catalog inventory onto a database, learn about the oil industry, check tools and go on jobs at the well site.

"On a normal job there was usually a team of one engineer and two operators.  On jobs that I would attend, we would have an extra person.  Occasionally another engineer would come on the job to learn new techniques," she said.

Amber feels that all students could benefit from real-world work experience.

"It’s a great way to narrow down what you do and do not like," she said. "My favorite thing about the internship was meeting such a diverse group of people.  There were people I have made friends with that I would not normally associate with in my life in Florida."

Noah Bates

Major: Agricultural Operations Management

Specialization: Construction and Process Management

Company: Brasfield & Gorrie, General Contractor - Lake Mary, FL

Noah Bates knows that it pays to pay attention to e-mails! He learned about the internship when a 'recruiting barbeque' e-mail was sent to him by an ABE advisor and it led to a great opportunity.

"I was part of a 5 man carpentry crew, a 3 man surveying and layout crew, and I spent a lot of time with my boss, the assistant superintendent," said Noah. "I worked on the underground for a Combined Cycle Power Plant located in Orlando. I got experience building forms, pouring concrete, supervising a crew for my project, and assisting my boss in supervising the entire site."

Noah notes that hard work and a willingness to learn were the most important skills he needed for the internship.

"It helped me by teaching me how to prepare in advance and make sure I worked hard to do the best job I possibly could."

There's no doubt in Noah's mind that an internship is an important part of a student's preparation for employment.

"An internship experience lets you look into the world you will be entering after graduation. Having this internship really showed me that this is what I want to do after I graduate.  It also provides you with experience so you aren’t going into a career that you know nothing about," explained Noah. "I enjoyed working at Brasfield and Gorrie immensely.  I believe that I learned more in 3 months actually working on a job than I have in all the time I’ve spent at UF.  All the practical skills and on the job experience are invaluable and I love pouring concrete."

For students in the AOM Construction and Process Management specialization, Noah highly recommends an internship with this company.

"Brasfield and Gorrie is the best company I have ever worked for. In my entire internship experience, I could not find a single person with a negative thing to say about B&G. They offer an awesome internship experience in an environment where you are given the opportunity to learn as much as you possibly can and it will be very beneficial to any student interested in a career in the construction field," he said. "It definitely made me want to work for  Brasfield and Gorrie. Ultimately I would like to become a superintendent working in the industrial division."

Lisa Buenrostro

Major: Packaging Science

Company: Kraft Foods, (Consumer Packaging - Food and Beverage) - Glenview, IL

Lisa's internship with Kraft Foods gave her a very real goal...to see a package she created on store shelves!

"Kraft is one of the leading companies in food packaging, and the atmosphere and people are amazing.  Getting up to go to work each day was exciting and new each time," said Lisa. "I was able to work on a wide range of projects, allowing me to experience the most in the short 6-months."

Lisa explained that her primary responsibilities were to lead project initiatives, work with the cross functional teams to understand the entire scope of projects, build relationships with suppliers/plants, complete lab work/testing and record results for projects.

She noted that because of her training in the UF Packaging Science Program, "I came into the internship with the basic technical knowledge needed to understand each project I was given. I needed the ability to take a task, delve into the different aspects, and determine the best way to achieve the desired results. Technical skills were the most important, in my experience. Always ask why!"

Lisa is enthusiastic about the benefits of her internship experience.

"I loved the experience.  I loved that we were treated as if we were full-time employees and were trusted with our own projects.  Given that responsibility made me work hard to show what I had to offer.  I improved greatly on my communication and writing skills, and I think that all the exposure to a wide range of professional people helped that.  I now am aware of how to contact and work with suppliers, supervisors, etc.," she explained.

She definitely recommends that all students seek out an internship before graduation.

"It allows you to learn so much more than sitting in a classroom does.  It’s one thing to hear the terms and define them, but it’s another to actually see it in the real world.  It also is a great way to confirm whether or not this is what you want to do with the rest of your life."

Lauren Hunter

Major: Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Specialization: Land and Water Resources Engineering

Company: Applied Technology and Management (Consulting) - Gainesville, FL

For the second year in a row, Lauren learned of an internship through an ABE alumus and wasted no time pursuing the opportunity. It was one more chance to apply her classroom knowledge and get valuable hands-on experience prior to graduation.

"I assisted the engineers with any projects that they were working on. I did data analysis, modeling, and research," she said. "My land and Water Resource Engineering Class was very useful as I was familiar with several of the topics that I had to research and I felt fairly prepared to do most of the data analysis."

Lauren noted that the most important skills she needed were confidence, flexibility and dedication, as some of the projects took a lot of learning and perseverance.

"I really enjoyed getting to learn about different jobs in the engineering consulting world.  I feel like this internship has helped tremendously to prepare me for a job when I graduate," she said. "I was able to help on several different types of projects, so I saw a lot of different applications of our work. It showed me a lot of different areas that I could work in.  I have changed my mind about trying to limit myself to a specific specialization until I am more experienced in a wide variety of projects."

Her advice to all students is to do at least one internship, if not more.

"It is crucial to help prepare you for a job," she explained. "I have learned so much, but more importantly, I have learned how much I don’t know.  I can’t imagine trying to get a job without having a good internship experience."

Laura Knoll

Major: Packaging Science

Company: Procter and Gamble - Cincinnati, OH

Most students pursue one internship opportunity during their academic career. A few may participate in two. Laura Knoll is that rare student who goes beyond the norm and has just completed her third internship, returning to Procter and Gamble after being invited back for a second summer experience...after just completing a spring internship with Kraft Foods.

Laura's primary responsibilities were Project Management Leader, Franchise for Hair Care Packaging, plus development and qualification of new materials and construction of a new labeling technology. She worked with suppliers to development the technologies. She also visited the plant, ran trials and did quality testing, package testing and the full qualification process needed for the business units.  

"I can’t wait to see my work on a shelf in the next year or so," said Laura. "I was so excited to be working on a real new hair-style project, which gave some great perspective of what my packaging degree can really offer."

On her project Laura was part of the Global Packaging Device and Development Team (GPDD) for Procter and Gamble.

"I was working with marketing, branding, design, managers, section heads, associate directors, directors and other interns with many functions throughout my internship," she explained.

Laura feels that several of her Packaging Science classes helped prepare her for her responsibilities.

"My Decoration and Consumer Products Packaging classes assisted me with learning concepts that were needed in the Beauty Packaging business.  My food packaging course has also helped with learning the general components and structures of polymers that are used in Hair Care Packaging."

As a participant in multiple internships Laura stresses the importance of presentation skills. She also feels that time management, technical knowledge and networking skills are very important to develop.

"I have learned a great number of skills I didn’t really know I possessed.  During each internship I have been on I have learned a new packaging proficiency, which is wonderful," she noted. "Presentation skills help you know who your audience is when presenting important information as well as making you more comfortable, and having people skills is very important to P&G as well as Kraft"

Laura's positive experiences in industry make her encourage other students to participate in as many internships as they can.

"I would recommend an internship to EVERYONE.  Procter & Gamble is a wonderful company with many global packaging technologies. I enjoyed my internship experience to the fullest. It is a wonderful way to get your foot in the door with a company and while you are learning about them, they are learning about you. Work experience seems to be a necessity nowadays in the world of packaging schools. It seems to be a norm to have an internship. There are many skills you just can’t learn in classes that are beneficial in the real world."

Now that she's approaching graduation, Laura says that the internships could have a direct effect on her choice of careers.

"My second internship with Procter & Gamble has drastically affected my decisions for a career in packaging. I can see myself working at Procter & Gamble as it's a wonderful company to work for, and I would be very happy with that decision."

Michael Moran

Major: Agricultural Operations Management

Company: Walt Disney Parks - Orlando, FL

Most people think of roller coasters and costumed characters when they think of Disney World, but Michael Moran has a greener vision after completing his internship. He worked as a landscaper, rotating through all of the many Disney theme parks, and it gave him an entirely different point of view.

"The best part of my internship was experiencing Disney World behind the scenes," said Michael. "Seeing how a multi-billion dollar corporation operates."

Michael learned about the opportunity when a Disney representative spoke to his Agricultural Safety Class and encouraged him to apply.

"I basically landscaped Disney World! I planted flowers, shrubs and trees, mowed, weeded and edged," he explained. " I was teamed up with three other interns as we rotated around the various parks."

Michael says that his knowledge of plants, landscaping, irrigation and pest management were important.

"The AOM program helped because my education in safety, soils, plants and machinery gave me a basic knowledge which helped prepare me for the internship," he said.

Overall, Michael felt that the internship was a great experience and would recommend the Disney experience for others, as he met great friends and got real-world experience.

Although he's not sure about pursuing a career in horticulture he says that the internship was a great way to understand the field and to learn how a large corporation operates.

"It was great," he said. "Especially getting discounts at the parks and getting into Disney for free!"

Elizabeth Morris

Major: Packaging Science

Company: Kraft Foods, England

Liz Morris had an internship experience that many students can only dream about...a chance to spend a year in England working for Kraft Foods.

In addition to being paid to learn more about a career in packaging, Liz got to enjoy a unique cultural experience.

"Dr. Welt mentioned in class that Kraft was coming to recruiting and that they might be offering an internship in England, explains Liz." I enjoyed the internship experience, as I got to meet new people and learn a lot of new things.  It has helped me realize what I like about packaging and what areas I would like to do further education in."

Liz was part of the packaging team and worked with her supervisor and assisted co-workers on their projects. 

"I worked specifically on coffee mix projects, therefore I worked closely with the coffee mix product development team as well.  I was in charge of 2 projects and assisted on other projects.  My projects were running a study on alternative laminates and building a master database for the coffee mix team," she explained.

According to Liz the UF/PKG program helped prepare her for the internship. "My academic experience in PKG helped me learn how to work with different types of people because my classes have always included group work.  It also helped me with my problem solving skills."

She also notes that there are some skills that were definitely needed for the job including "a willingness to learn new things, an ability to work with many different kinds of people, presentation skills and the ability to take orders."

Liz definitely feels that other packaging students will benefit from internship opportunities.

"I would recommend it to other students because it helps you understand how your education fits into the job market, and what other possibilities are out there than just the conventional ones.  Even if you are doing something you don’t enjoy, it helps you realize what you would enjoy doing," she says. "This experience made me realize that I would like to do design and innovation.  I would like to stay in school a bit longer working towards to specializing in what I want to do, rather than just start working immediately after graduating."     

David Palubin

Major: Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Specialization: Biological Engineering

Company: Pasteuria Bioscience (Biotechnology) - Alachua, FL

A tour of the Sid Martin Biotechnology incubator for an ABE class field trip led to a great internship opportunity for David Palubin.

David got real hands-on experience as he worked with the IRIS fermenter control software, added the ability to measure pH online for the Sixfors fermenters and designed a Transverse Flow Filtration (TFF) system. He was the only UF student working at the company this summer and says the ABE program did help prepare him for his responsibilites.

"My experience in ABE 3000C taught me a little about TFF systems, and my experiences in Design 1 and the ASABE Fountain Wars competition taught me how to design, assemble, and complete projects," he said.

"I enjoyed the ability to design and assemble the filtration system, because normally I would have never gotten to work with something of this magnitude.  I really felt like I could make an impact with this company," he explained.

David said he enjoyed working with a small company like Pastueria, noting that "your contributions really make a difference."

He recommends that students seek out internship opportunities prior to graduation.

"It will really expose you to what your career could be like, and it will help you find some direction in that regard.  It can also help you develop problem solving skills and make you more valuable to your future employer," he said. "Research and design competitions are also very useful.  The Fountain Wars student design competition really helped prepare me for my internship."

As far as future plans, David learned that he "really likes biological engineering, and in particular fermentation engineering."

Francisco Reina

Major: Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Specialization: Land and Water Resources Engineering

Company: St. Johns River Water Management District

Working for a water management district was a 'good learning experience' according to Francisco who's primary responsibilities were Geographic Information Systems (GIS), contacting government agencies, gathering flow data and AFSIRS.

"Dr. Dukes Water Resources class gave me a head start," said Francisco who learned about the opportunity on the District's website.

The internship provided an excellent real-world introduction to the workings of a WMD.

"It gave me an idea of what its like to work for a Water District. An internship is a good experience on what’s to come after graduation. It also gives you an idea of what type of jobs you want to apply for after graduation," he said.

Francisco says he recommends the SJRWMD for students interested in water resources.

"It’s a really good learning environment, people are super friendly and it’s a great place to intern. I really enjoyed the traveling and new friends I made at the District."

JT Sanders

Major:Agricultural Operations Management

Specialization: Construction and Process Management

Company: KB Home, Fort Myers Division

"Unlike anything I would have imagined," is how JT describes his experience with KB Home. "KB gave me some grand responsibilities that I didn’t think I was ready for, but with their help, I was able to complete all the tasks that they put in front of me"

Those tasks included being Superintendent over 1 and 2 story homes, from drywall to Certificate of Occupancy of the home. He also scheduled multiple trades during construction and assisted in formatting a centralized scheduling program. Quite a full plate for someone on their first internship experience!

"My AOM education assisted me in scheduling trade partners, working with other people, and using a Critical Path Method chart," he explained.

JT definitely feels that internships are great experiences that can help students determine their career path.

"It exposes you to the field you may be interested in and gives you real life scenarios of what might happen after graduation," he said. "This internship made me realize my goals of becoming a general contractor after graduation.  I think I would enjoy building production homes in the future with a company like KB Home."

Rachael Speisman, Mike Griffin, Tiffany Maxwell

Major: Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Specialization: Biological Engineering

Company: Virginia Tech Bioprocess Engineering Department

Three ABE students packed their bags and headed to Blacksburg, Virginia this summer to join other students from around the country in Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) at Virginia Tech University (VT).

Each student worked as part of a research team with another undergraduate student along with guidance from a VT graduate student and professor.Their responsibilities included literature reviews and research in the labs. All of the ABE students felt that their Senior Design classes had helped prepare them for the challenges of their assigned projects.

"I had completed Design II right before the internship, so I was already in the research mindset.  I also feel like my background knowledge in organic and biochemistry was more substantial than undergraduate students from other schools," said Mike Griffin

Tiffany Maxwell noted that the internship provided a chance to do some real-hands on research. "I liked that it was a very new experience and an opportunity to apply my knowledge. It taught me that there is always more to learn, as the technology of science is always advancing, and research involves staying up to date with the latest journals. It was a quick glimpse at what a career in research would be like, and it helped me to decide whether or not I am well-suited for research."

"I loved working with the grad students and it made the transition from undergrad to grad student much easier," explained Rachel Speisman. "It made my decision to go to grad school more concrete."

Mike Griffin also felt the experience would help guide his future plans. "I have a much better idea of what to expect from graduate school now.  I feel more confident about conducting my own research with only minor guidance from a faculty member," he said. "If you are considering graduate school, an REU is extremely helpful in deciding if it is right for you.  Spending a summer doing nothing but research will let you know if it is something you want to pursue as a career." 

Sam Tripson

Major:Agricultural Operations Management

Specialization: Production Systems

Company: Williamson Cattle Ranch - Benjamin, Texas

This summer Sam Tripson saddled up to a great internship opportunity!

Through a UF Alumnus he was provided with a chance to spend a summer on the Williamson Cattle Ranch where he was was responsible for care of the saddle horses, feeding cattle and mending fences.

Sam said that "the AOM academic experience helped prepare me for the challenges that were a part of the everyday activities, such as working together with others and applying my knowledge towards challenging problems that may have occurred." He also stresses that communication was the most important skill he could bring to the job.

There were many aspects of the internship that Sam liked and he certainly recommends it for other students.

"What I liked best was gaining knowledge of the industry and meeting people that have made a difference in my life," he explained. " An internship prior to graduation is the best networking tool that a student can have."

While Sam was already leaning in this direction he says the experience has helped confirm his career path.

"I have always had an interest in the cattle industry and being able to have an experience with this type of operation has made it possible for me take a job here in Gainesville after I graduate," he said. "I would recommend an internship to students that would like to gain knowledge in the type of business that interests them."

Christie Williams, Graduate Student

Undergraduate Major:Agricultural Operations Management

Graduate Specialization: Safety

Company: Nationwide Agribusiness

It may seem unusual for a graduate student to participate in an internship, but for Christie Williams, it was the best decision she could make.

"As a student, you are taught things, and then at times wonder, 'When am I ever going to use this information in my life'.. Taking part in this internship answered that question for me. I don’t think there is one day that goes by, where I do not use information that I learned in AOM and my undergraduate program," she explained.

"My AOM safety background definitely helped me prepare for my internship," she said. "What I did feel was lacking, was my so called “real-world” experience, which you can’t get from reading a book. This internship has helped me with just that. I have gained so much valuable information that no book could ever teach me."

Christie enjoyed the freedom that the position offered, as she spent much of her time traveling or working from home.

"As a Loss-Control Representative you work primarily by yourself. Half of the time is spent working from your home office (that’s right…no cubical to report to) where you are writing reports, then the other half of the time is spent out in the field," she explained. "My main responsibilities included traveling to certain agribusiness accounts, such as feed mills, where I then would proceed to survey the property for any safety hazards that may cause a loss to the business, and document those hazards by taking pictures, etc. I also had to meet with the owners of the business and ask them a series of questions and review any losses that the business may have experienced. After conducting my loss-control survey I then had to write an extensive report on the business."

Now that she's completed her internship she has some advice for other students.

"I feel that an internship experience is a must for all students before graduation. A lot of college students have part-time jobs while they are attending school, but never have a job within their field of study, until after they graduate. Participating in an internship program during college allows students to “get their foot in the door” and see exactly what kinds of jobs are out there, before they have all the “real-world” responsibilities," she said. "I think this internship just reassured me that I am in the right academic field of study."

Christie encourages other AOM students to pursue this same opportunity.

"It feels like you are part of one big family at Nationwide Agribusiness. Not only have I met some great colleagues, but I have also made friendships that will continue for years to come. I would just like to add, that if this same internship comes around again, any students who might be interested in it are welcome to contact me, and I will answer any questions they may have about the internship."