Partners in the Process From experiences on campus to championing internships and co-ops within their organizations, alumni share how this essential step puts a graduate above the rest. KYLE MILLIMAN (’14 B.S.E., ’14 B.S.E.Mech.) McLaren Engineering, Product Engineer I was an intern four times at Mc- Laren, which ultimately led to the position I am in now. Students who participate in intern- ships come to the workforce more prepared and ready to hit the ground running on day one. It is beneficial not only for the student, since they get involved with projects faster, but also for the company since less training may be required initially. TONY ALLEGRINA (’82 B.A.) Bodman PLC, Communications Manager Treat your internship as if it is the first step in your career. Perform as if you had to keep the job for the rest of your life.You are there to learn and to impress. I did two internships, one at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC and one with the Ontario Legislature in Toronto. Both helped me achieve a level of confidence and self-motivation that benefited me tremendously early in my career. NICK SITARSKI (’04 B.S.E., ’09 M.S.) Toyota Motor North America, Se- nior Automated Driving Evaluation Engineering Manager The co-op I did at SY Systems Technologies allowed me to begin learning how to put the fundamen- tal engineering skills I learned in school to use in a business environment. Engineering school is great for teaching fundamental engineering skills, however, sometimes the best ways to learn how to put those skills to use is through a co-op or internship. ALICIA ZELAYA | 17