August 21, 2019 | 4 minute read
Welcome to the third installment of our 2019 John Crane internship spotlight series.
As our interns wrap up their busy summer, they had the opportunity to volunteer at Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), a nonprofit organization offering volunteers a truly unique experience by having them hand-pack rice, soy, dried vegetables and a nutritionally complete blend of vitamins and minerals into bags. The bags are then sealed, boxed and shipped to children around the world.
In just two hours of volunteering, our interns packed 152 boxes of food, prepared 32,832 meals and fed approximately 90 children for a year in the African country of Djibouti.
Read the following Q&As with our interns to learn more about them, what projects the worked on this summer and why they chose John Crane, as well as some fun facts and hidden talents.
Jacob Hyde — Manchester, U.K.
Jacob is currently a student at the University of Leeds majoring in mechanical engineering. Jacob is a R&D engineering intern at John Crane.
What projects are you currently working on?
My responsibilities include running and implementing new testing procedures for predictive diagnostics in vessel seals.
Why did you choose John Crane?
The engineering position is a great opportunity for me to gain exposure to real-life engineering projects and the complexities they come with.
Upon graduation, what career path do you plan to take?
When I graduate, I’d like to gain additional insights into engineering and manufacturing by taking on different engineering roles within a company.
Share a fun fact about yourself.
I taught myself how to play guitar at the age of 12.
What is your favorite summer activity/hobby?
I love to go cycling in the summer.
Anna Engel — Morton Grove, IL
Anna is currently a student at the University of Indiana, Bloomington, majoring in law and public policy with minors in Spanish and business.
What projects are you currently working on?
I’m working on a complete audit of all John Crane Human Resource files, as well as a social media campaign to boost recruitment around the hiring of more engineers and CNC machinists.
Why did you choose John Crane?
I chose John Crane because of the diverse workplace and passion the company has for employees to grow and learn.
What is one thing that you hope to take away from your internship?
I hope to continue learning more about the world of HR professionals, and determine if it’s a career path I wish to explore post-college.
Upon graduation, what career path do you plan to take?
I plan to attend law school and become either a lawyer or someone who helps create legislation.
Share a fun fact about yourself.
I love soccer and have played it for more than 15 years.
What is your favorite summer activity/hobby?
I love riding bikes along the lakefront in downtown Chicago.
Will Mattos — Morton Grove, IL
Will is currently a graduate student at the University of Illinois Chicago pursuing his master’s degree in electrical engineering. Will is a R&D electrical engineering intern at John Crane.
What projects are you currently working on?
I’m helping support the development of Joh Crane’s smart sensing products. As part of this, I’ve been performing tests on various types of sensors and their data acquisition systems.
Why did you choose John Crane?
I chose John Crane for the chance to gain hands-on experience in engineering, and to contribute to the development of the company’s digital innovations.
What is one thing that you hope to take away from your internship?
I hope to gain insight into how real engineering projects are done in the industry.
Upon graduation, what career path do you plan to take?
After graduating in May 2020, I plan on taking a career path in electronics R&D.
Share a fun fact about yourself.
I like playing in team trivia nights, and have helped my team win some huge prizes and championships!
What is your favorite summer activity/hobby?
I like to travel and attend the various events and street festivals Chicago has to offer, and I enjoy water activities like wakeboarding.
Sofia Cheetham — Manchester, U.K.
Sofia is currently a student at the University of Warwick, majoring in mechanical engineering. Sofia is a couplings engineer intern at John Crane.
What projects are you currently working on?
My main project throughout this internship involves one of the test rigs in the lab. I am working to optimize set-up procedures of seal testing by designing and machining new rig parts creating a formalized set of procedures, and am working to document the necessary steps to calibrate the rig.
The project has been very interesting so far, as it involves many different skills such as research and documentation, design using Solid Edge, communicating with external suppliers, finite element analysis and creating 2D drawings for manufacturing.
Why did you choose John Crane?
I chose John Crane because I am interested in the work the company does, and its focus on innovation and new technology development. I like the fact that John Crane is involved throughout various process industries. I also liked knowing that I would be working within the global engineering office, which allows me to be involved in technologically advanced projects.
What is one thing that you hope to take away from your internship?
I’m really looking forward to working within a global engineering company, and am excited to work on a real-life project and take ownership of it.
Upon graduation, what career path do you plan to take?
I want to continue working in the engineering field. Although I have yet to decide which specific area of engineering I will go into, I know I want to be involved in the most technical and challenging technology developments.
Share a fun fact about yourself.
I played the traverse flute in school for many years and participated in the school band for all my secondary education.
What is your favorite summer activity/hobby?
I love spending time outside, especially when the weather is good. Recently, I’ve started running as a form of exercise and have found I really enjoy it. I also love cycling by the canals and seeing the geese and ducks.