Steffes Spotlight: 2021 Interns
This summer Steffes welcomed seven interns between the Dickinson and Grand Forks locations. After going through 2020 without interns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are very pleased with the number of interns that joined our team this summer!
To thank the interns for all their work this summer, we hosted a shortened version of our annual Intern Week at the Dickinson facilities the second week of August. Even with the shortened week, the interns were able to get together to share their work from the summer and enjoy an afternoon of mini golf and ice cream in Medora.
Learn more about our interns below:
Wyatt Kainz
Wyatt is a Design Engineer intern in Dickinson. This is Wyatt’s third year working with Steffes, the first two of which were as a manufacturing engineer Co-op/intern. He will graduate from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in the Spring of 2022 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
When asking Wyatt “What is the most interesting project he worked on this summer?”, Wyatt said learning about the NPD (new product development) side of engineering was the most interesting. He learned how to create production drawings for parts, assemblies, weldments, and how to navigate SolidWorks PDM.
Some of Wyatt’s favorite memories from this summer include working on a water heater skid and rerouting gas and oil legs on a customer skid. His advice for future interns is to “ask a lot of questions and make connections with as many people as possible.”
Lauren Cain
This was Lauren’s first summer interning with Steffes as a Supply Chain Intern at the Grand Forks East building. Lauren currently attends the University of North Dakota where she will graduate in May of 2022 with a double major in Operations and Supply Chain Management and Marketing as well as a minor in Professional Selling.
The most interesting project Lauren worked on during her internship was working with suppliers and learning about the parts and projects that Steffes produces for customers. Her favorite memory from the summer was traveling to Dickinson to meet the Supply Chain team, where they worked to better their strategies and create positive impacts that will help Steffes succeed in new areas.
Lauren’s advice for future Steffes interns is to “ask a lot of questions. Everyone here wants you to get the most out of your internship and give you the information to succeed in your position.”
Brett Baldwin
A Marketing Intern in Grand Forks (East), this was Brett’s first summer interning with Steffes. Brett is a student at the University of North Dakota and will graduate with his Marketing degree in May of 2022.
The most interesting projects Brett worked on this summer were writing monthly employee spotlights and helping write and design the Innovator, an internal quarterly newsletter.
Brett’s favorite memory was being a part of the Grand Forks CARE team and helping with the water balloon fight and grill out. His tip for future interns is “ask a lot of questions and try to soak up as much information as possible.”
Madison Meier
Madison is a first year Marketing Intern in Dickinson. She is currently studying at North Dakota State University with the plan to graduate in December of 2022 with a degree in Marketing and a minor in Accounting.
Over the course of the summer, Madison learned how to use multiple Adobe programs (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop). She used the programs heavily during her internship and found that they helped bring out her creative side.
Madison’s favorite memory from the summer was helping the Dickinson CARE team with the Memorial Day cookout. It was early in the summer and allowed her to meet a lot of people. Her advice for future interns is to “make use of everyone, they have so much beneficial information and guidance to offer, in and out of the workplace.”
Wyatt Helinsky
Wyatt is a first-year Manufacturing Engineer Intern located at the Grand Forks West facility. He is studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of North Dakota and will graduate in May of 2022.
During his intern, Wyatt learned how to harden steel. The most interesting part of Wyatt’s internship was listening to office banter. His favorite memory from the summer was the Memorial Day cookout and getting to throw water balloons at Trent.
Wyatt’s advice for future interns is to “take every chance you get to learn something new.”
Andrew Schafer
This was Andrew’s first year as an Intern for Steffes. He worked this summer in Dickinson as a Manufacturing Engineer CO-OP. Andrew will be graduating in December 2021 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Andrew found working with the Tool & Die department to be the most interesting aspect of his internship. Over the summer, he learned about Creo and Solidworks modeling along with proper fixturing design.
His favorite memory was when Ray Hurt told him, “Good job, young man.” Andrew’s advice for future interns is “don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
Alec Sickler
Alec is a Supply Chain Intern in Dickinson; this is his first internship with Steffes and third year total with the company. He is studying Business Management at the University of North Dakota and will graduate in May of 2022.
Alec found the process and different roles it takes to receive a final product to be the most interesting aspect of his summer. He enjoyed working and learning from others and hearing their experiences within the company and industry.
His advice for future Interns is “learn and explore the industry as much as you can during your time with Steffes, talk with people from every department.”
Thank you all for your hard work this summer!