Allow us to introduce our first intern: Geoffrey Pott!
Geoffrey is a Senior at Colorado School of Mines majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Nuclear Power.
Where are you from? Where did you grow up?
I was born in Tucson, Arizona and spent most of my childhood in Fremont, California, but I also grew up constantly travelling to a lot of different places which has contributed to who I am today.
How did you decide on your university for school?
Before applying, I had not heard of the Colorado School of Mines. But once I got the acceptance letter, my great-uncle said that he had attended Mines in his heyday and that his education had allowed him to work on projects from Turkey to Taipei. Hearing about his experience at the university greatly influenced my decision to attend as well as the school’s location. While a good education is important, I feel very strongly that having a quality environment is crucial to gaining a well-rounded experience. Mines is right at the foothills of the Rockies which I love and is a perfect fit for me.
How did you decide on your major? Why are you interested in pursuing a career in construction?
While my major has been in question for almost my entire academic career, I ended up deciding on Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Nuclear Power because I feel very strongly that the backbone of every nation is its energy grid and, to modernize America, we will need a nuclear grid.
What initially interested you about the Total-Western Internship Program?
As with all things, construction is a crucial part of any infrastructural task, so I was really interested in Total-Western’s involvement and experience not only in construction but also in the Energy industry.
How’s it going so far?
I feel a little behind…I’m not as familiar with some of the topics we’ve been learning and the projects we’ve been assigned, but with the help from my peers I have been staying afloat.
What are you enjoying most?
I enjoy working with the other employees and my fellow interns. Everyone is very helpful, and having people my own age to struggle with on the same project has made me feel less alone and given me hope that we can pull off our summer project!
What job site are you currently at?
I’m currently working out of TW headquarters in Paramount and go to job sites as needed.
What do you hope to gain by the time your internship concludes?
I hope to have a better understanding of the construction and industrial processes so that I can apply this knowledge to my future career in the industry.
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Thanks, Geoffrey, for sharing your journey with us! We’ll check back in with him at the end of the program – stay tuned!