STEP Reflection Name: Jacob Thiel

For your reflection of your STEP Experience, please do the following:

  1. Fill in the Reflection Form below and post it on your respective STEP experience page at u.osu.edu.
  2. Upload 1 – 2 pictures from your experience to your u.osu.edu post if you have some.
  3. If you created a separate blog, video, digital story, etc. about your experience, please attach a link to your creation to your u.osu.edu post as well.

STEP Experience __Internship___

What? – A detailed description of what you did during your STEP experience.
My STEP experience was an internship with General Electric Aviation. I worked in Development Engine Test and had a variety of responsibilities and assignments. While I cannot divulge much of what I did due to non-disclosure agreements, I will try to explain the gist of it without putting myself in jeopardy of violating contracts signed with GE barring me from talking about the workings of the company.
I was a mechanical engineering co-op in Development Engine Test where I worked with the new engines being tested and developed at the Evendale (Cincinnati) plant. I worked projects that focused on process improvement. I was able participate in engine set-up, testing, and engine break-down within the test cells. Along with this hands-on experience, I took on a project management role on a certain project where I communicated with the entire hierarchy of GE—from union workers to head finance people and the EPA on organize this project and getting the job done.
Towards the end of my internship, I began meeting with managers of other departments within GE Aviation to try to see where I would like to work next summer. I concluded that I would like to work in Development Assembly, where they build the engine prototypes that I just finished testing. This is a good department to work in to set me up for the GE Leadership Program, OMLP, where I can get my MBA paid for by GE and still have a full time job and salary.
After this internship experience, I am more confident than ever about the track I am on in my life and I cannot wait until I can expand my knowledge and ability within the corporate engineering world.
So What? – A personal response to your STEP experience, including feelings, thoughts, judgments, and what you have learned about yourself and your assumptions from what you did and how you reacted.
Truthfully, my internship at GE was not as in-depth as I would have liked. I worked in a department where I was the only engineer. All the other workers were mechanical engineering and technology majors and did not have a solid grasp on some of the things I would have liked for them to know in order to help me with certain projects. I was not able to really learn anything mechanical engineering based. I am still happy that I was able to get my foot in and make a good impression within GE, a company where I would like to make a career with. There were no engineers in my department to watch and learn from. I ended up doing engineering projects for the department where I was able to provide valuable services to the department and company as a whole, but I still feel like I did not expand my understanding of true engineering.
I did learn a great about myself though. I have always been a natural leader with people following me. I was a bit nervous going into this internship role since I was the only mechanical engineer working with a lot of technology majors who were from the country. I was definitely the odd one out on paper and how I dressed and conducted myself. However, I was still able to go into that environment and charm everyone and took on a leadership role among the other interns—all of which were several years older than me.
The most important thing I take from this experience is that I know I have what it takes to be successful in the engineering and the business world. I had several managers from other departments come up and ask me to intern for them next summer. I believe I have the charisma and smarts to get hired on as an engineer, and quickly move up the ladder within GE, or any big company.
Now What? – Discuss how the things you experienced and learned during your STEP experience will affect your academic, personal, and life goals moving forward.
I have always been incredibly focused on academics. I have a 3.977 in the honors mechanical engineering program. That is 5 hours of A- from ISE 2040 and BUSMHR 2500—two non-important classes as far as my working future is concerned—that took away my 4.0. Now I am focused on getting back into GE and getting accepted into the Operations Management Leadership Program, where I can get my MBA and a salary. I believe with my current credentials and GE’s backing that I can get into an Ivy school like Harvard to get my MBA. This is my sole focus now. Getting great grades to get into an Ivy business school graduate program.
Personally, I made some great friends that I can see myself talking to for the rest of my life. My direct overseer went to Ohio State and we have plans to hang out a bit for the Cincinnati game. I still talk to the other interns I worked with and believe I will be seeing them if I work there again next summer.
My life goal has always been to be successful. I love engineering, but I do not want to be an engineer my entire life. I want to be a boss. I want to be the manager of managers. These ambitions drive me. I believe I have the will power, charisma, and natural leadership ability to move up in a company. On top of my personality, I am already a proven engineer academically, receiving the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Top Academic Award my freshman year.
Everything I do is for my future. I study hard to get good grades. I worked hard this summer so I could make a name for myself at GE and get hired back on for another rotation. I did that. It was a successful internship experience.