- Major: Chemical Engineering
- Company: SABIC & Cargill
- Graduation Year: 2023
- E-mail: nbrockma@vols.utk.edu
Profile
I worked for 4 co-op rotations with SABIC Innovative Plastics. Main products are LEXAN (polycarbonate), ULTEM, and VALOX. Roles during the rotations were Reliability and Maintainability, Chemical Operations Process Engineer, and Operations Engineer. The second company I worked with was Cargill at their CSSTNA plant in Eddyville, IA. I worked in a Capital Expense Projects Engineer role aiding operations with high-cost process improvements. Some products from the plant is ethanol, citric acid, different grades of corn syrup, and Sweetbran feed for cattle.
I decided to first co-op because I wanted to find more about myself personally and connect with engineers who already have a career. As I continued the process, I realized the profound impact each rotation had on my outlook and my career aspirations. A significant lesson learned is that a project almost never goes as planned. There are multiple ways to minimize errors in projects, but there will always be a certain aspect one does not know. Thus, many projects require balance between the ideation and execution phase of a project.
Participating in a co-op has helped me to understand what is needed out of an engineer in college. Mainly, it requires the desire to learn and to be able to work with anyone whether external or internal to the place you are working.
Co-op assignments may seem quite a commitment and many times they can be. However, there are opportunities to work for different companies if a co-op term doesn't go well. However, many of the terms I experienced that were challenging and very uncomfortable proved to be the ones I learned the most in. I would recommend to anyone to keep an open mind and know you always have a support network whether that be from school, family, friends, or a professional group.
I like to do anything outdoors related - running, biking, hiking, and playing sports with friends. I also like hanging out with my brothers over at the DU fraternity and at the Theta Tau - co-ed professional engineering fraternity.
College is such a fun experience! Enjoy it and know that at the Engineering Professional Practice we can help you with what you need!
