Co-op Experiences
Being in my 4th year, I have now completed 4 co-op experiences. Two were with Emery Oleochemicals, a fatty acid plant, and two were with Kellogg.
Emery
I worked for about 8 months for Emery Oleochemicals in their Maintenance and Reliability department. This was my first experience in heavy industry, and my first job in an engineering type of role. I worked mostly with safety systems and logistics management at Emery, and both their striving for efficiency and their commitment to safety have helped to shape my scholastic and professional career.
Kellogg
Transitioning from a medium sized company in Emery, to a Fortune 500 company with Kellogg was culture shock. I was amazed by the equipment, the mythical "corporate mandates" and the rigidity of the organization. I really liked it! I worked as an Overall Equipment Effectiveness Co-op, was moved into a production supervisor role, and finally spent a semester as a maintenance supervisor. I was given the opportunity to work with dozens of people, and manage two unions in their daily work environments. This experience really gave me a chance to hone my leadership skills and my management style. I can't wait to see what my next co-op has in store!