Jeremiah J. Evans – 2022 Steel Intern Scholar
I spent the summer of 2022 at Steel Dynamics, Inc. – Structural and Rail Division in Columbia City, Ind., USA. It was an unbelievably valuable experience working at a steel company and has further convinced me that this is the industry where I want to work in my future.
I worked in the casting department this summer, but I also shadowed the crew at our R&D building to help familiarize myself with the sample testing process. It was great being able to understand what they were looking for in our samples and get exposure to sampling and testing high quality steel. The flexibility to look at other departments to learn more of the process has been extremely beneficial and has helped me further my understanding of what I would like to do after college.
During my internship, project work was my primary focus. Steel Dynamics enabled me to really lead projects and learn from the pitfalls and successes of each. I have done everything from acid etching samples and learning from the operators in the plant, to even writing computer programs to help operators with their jobs. My projects, one of which was installing a water analyzer to determine the amount of corrosion caused by water chemistry, can hopefully continue to be used to help improve our process over time. I had the opportunity to research and run trials that can be used to help improve the product quality, while brainstorming a game plan that can be utilized to continue the trial process.Outside of projects, I have learned an incredible amount about the safety of working in a steel mill like this. Safety is extremely important, and it has led me to be a safer individual both at work and at home. Toward the end of the summer, I was given the opportunity to visit other SDI plants and I even met CEO Mark Millet.
Overall, this summer has really given me an inside look on a career after college, which will be even more crucial in the coming semester as I begin to look for a job. Through my experiences, I have learned an incredible amount about the process, and I cannot wait to take the next step and learn more. I am extremely grateful for everyone at this facility for taking me under their wings, and for this fruitful summer experience.