Summer Internship Spotlight: Joel Conrad

Grand Canyon University’s colleges encourage students to make the most of their college career – and that’s exactly what Honors College student Joel Conrad is doing. Joel is majoring in mechanical engineering and has already had two internships over the last two summers.

Last year, through the encouragement of honors engineering faculty, Joel reached out to the owner of Escape Velocity Mechanical Design for a tour and to discuss the possibility of a summer internship. Joel received this internship; he worked all summer and became more familiar with the job of an engineer.

“My main responsibility was to fabricate sheet metal parts for the robotic hands that GCU engineering students put together. This included becoming familiar with some basic machine shop practices,” he explained. “I also learned how to use SolidWorks 3D modeling software. After I understood the basics, I made updates to drawings and added design input to parts that Mr. Stippick, the owner, was designing. I designed a few parts as well.”

Through this internship, Joel gained invaluable insight into his future career path: “Working in the machine shop helped me understand the importance of designing things in such a way that they can be manufactured. Understanding the procedures for using the machine shop tools will be helpful in the future. Experiencing SolidWorks in a business setting was also beneficial.”

Joel also mentioned how vital the Honors College was in his internship experience. “Through my experiences in the Honors College, I have learned to go the extra mile in my work and pay careful attention to detail. This is something that directly applies to the workforce.”

Joel is planning another internship for this coming summer and has exciting plans after graduating in 2019. “My goal is to find an engineering job where I will be designing and creating products and solutions that solve real-world problems. After some time in the workforce, if the Lord wills, I may also go on to get a master’s degree in engineering.”

The GCU Honors College and the College of Science, Engineering and Technology are committed to helping students make the most of their college education. Learn about your opportunities to become an honors student by visiting our website or contacting us using the Request More Information button.