2024 Steel Intern Scholarships
Kyle A. Sutton
I have recently finished my second summer at Steel Dynamics’ Structural and Rail Division (SRD) in the casting department. My first summer was spent in the mold shop where I learned what is done to build and maintain a casting segment. I was also given projects to work on throughout the summer. My most notable project was installing and configuring a spray water analyzer prototype with Nalco. This machine read the pH value and corrosion rate of the spray water in real time as products were run. Working on this project was an incredible opportunity to practice my ability to look ahead for potential problems the project may run into as well as leadership.
During my second internship at SRD, these improved abilities were put to greater use as I was given an increased sense of responsibility. My second internship was with the casting maintenance group, where I was given many projects with reach across the entire department. With this large reach, I was able to learn about and work on all the casting equipment. This internship allowed me freedom and flexibility in how I solved problems, which I used to work on my weaknesses as an engineer and improve my abilities.
Before this internship, I always said my greatest weakness was my lack of technical abilities for fabricating and installing equipment. This past summer I was able to fabricate my own projects and install them myself, providing a better understanding of how my solutions for projects will be created, what materials would be best for fabricating, how to present my solution to make it easiest to create, and a wealth of additional information. Along with being able to create my own project designs, I was also able to shadow many people around the casting department. Some of the most impactful experiences from this internship were made when shadowing millwrights throughout the day. By working alongside the millwrights, I gained a greater in-depth understanding of the equipment in the casting department as well as how that equipment is worked on. Throughout the summer I have looked back on how far I have come in my abilities and knowledge since I started with Steel Dynamics and felt nothing but pride in my internships and the impact they’ve had on me.