Plastics major interns with Nike in Oregon
Tuesday, June 30, 2015 2:00 AM
News
Pittsburg, KS
It’s nearly impossible to walk across a college campus without seeing at least one person wearing Nike shoes. This summer, one Pittsburg State student is getting a behind-the-scenes look at how those kicks are made.
Jordyn Showers, a junior plastics engineering major from Spring Hill, Kan., is interning this summer at the Nike IHM plant in Beaverton, Ore.
“I am a manufacturing engineering intern, so my job is to work with the thermoforming machines that produce the soles of the shoes for several different product lines,” she said. “I am learning how the machines operate and will be working on the standby time standardization for the machines.”
Showers said she scored the internship during the College of Technology Company Day in the fall of last year.
“I was introduced to Nike IHM at the Fall 2014 Tech Center Company Day,” she said. “From there I was able to talk to the representatives of the company, and I was extended an internship offer in January 2015.”
Showers said the internship has given her a unique look at a global industry operation, which is an experience that will benefit her when she returns to campus.
“You can only learn so much in the classroom,” she said. “The hands-on experience of summer internships aids students in better understanding the material that is learned in the classroom. In addition, most internship companies treat the intern as a real employee and expect them to be successful at their projects, just like you would after graduation.”
Showers urges younger students to seek out internship experiences.
“Start looking for an internship day one of your freshmen year,” she said. “It is never too soon to get an internship. Most companies are looking for a person who is eager to learn and wants to work. That mentality will win over a senior student who knows the information but does not seem enthused to work.”
And if students are lucky enough to get an internship at a place like Nike, there are some added perks.
“The awesome discounts on Nike products are nice,” she said.