- Major: Mechanical Engineering
- Company: Fresenius & Colgate-Palmolive
- Graduation Year: Dec 2022
- E-mail: wblanke2@vols.utk.edu
Profile
Murfreesboro, TN
In the summer and fall of 2020, I worked at Fresenius Medical Care in their R&D Department here in Knoxville. They manufacture dialysis products, and I had the opportunity to conduct studies that ensured new products were safe for patient use. In the summer of 2021, I worked at Colgate-Palmolive as part of their engineering team in Morristown, TN. They produce a wide variety of products, but the plant I worked at produced almost all the Colgate brand toothpaste and mouthwash for North America. I supported the production lines through creating a resource site to assist with training.
I decided that I wanted to co-op because I really wanted to gain that hands-on experience and try out a field I was very interested in. I feel like this has helped me identify what field I want to enter when I graduate.
One of the most important things that I learned at Fresenius was how to lead on my own study. I was given almost complete independence to design and execute my own study. I feel this amount of responsibility allowed me to learn a lot about projects, as well as working in an FDA-regulated environment.
Participating in a co-op has helped me grow as an engineer by building skills that I feel like I can't gain in the classroom. It has also helped me build my confidence as an engineer and I feel prepared to enter industry upon graduation.
To anyone considering the program, I would highly recommend it. The longer duration of a co-op really lets you dive into projects and gain more responsibility. The experience is so valuable and it really helps finding further work opportunities. I think my co-op experience was one of the best decisions I made during my time at UT.
When I'm not busy with school I love to play soccer, explore the outdoors, or find new places to eat.
If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me!
