Joanna Valentas – 2019 Steel Internship Scholars
This summer I had the chance to be an intern at AK Steel – Butler Works. I worked primarily in the environmental and power departments. Over the course of the internship, I job shadowed engineers who were working on different projects all over the mill before picking up projects of my own. I learned a great deal about the steelmaking process here, as well as 
maintenance work and the machinery involved. It was eye-opening to see the machinery and processes firsthand verse learning about it in a classroom setting. In my time at the plant, I updated technical drawings of the mill, revised natural gas usages and accompanied safety audits. My time at AK Steel has been a great learning experience as well as a crucial step toward my future career. Thank you to AK Steel and AIST for this opportunity to learn and further my education.