BE Program Prepared Student for Internship and Co-Op at POET
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EmailBE Student Savana Bellows talks about how the BE program at MSU prepared her for the internship opportunity at POET.
In August 2021, Savana Bellows started an internship with POET and has been based out of Preston, MN. She started out doing an internship, but as she progressed during the program, they asked her to stay on, and has remained there as part of a co-op and will stay through August 2022.
Savanna started out working on small projects and creating standard operating procedures (SOP's). As her role developed in the co-op she has begun working on larger projects and implementing systems. Recently she worked with the Sioux Falls Engineer to remove a set of pipes at one of the plants. In her position, Savanna can travel to any of the 33 plants that POET has throughout the Midwest. This allows her to experience different processes, plants, management styles, and more.
Meet Savana!
Degree: Biosystems Engineering
Hometown: Holly, MI
Graduation Date: Spring 2023
Favorite thing about BAE: Professors! They are phenomenal and great at communication. BE professors get connected with students and their challenges. They dedicate time to our success.
How did the BE program at MSU help prepare you for the internship? The BE program at MSU prepared me the endless resources to ensure my resume stood out among other applicants. We had numerous opportunities in our intro BE classes to prep for interviews and our 60-sec elevator pitches when talking about ourselves. The professors also offered enormous amounts of advice when applying for internships got hard. A person can only take so many rejections or unanswered emails before it really gets to them. Everyone in the BE program is incredibly supportive and if they can help you in some way, they will help you. They were also flexible with attending class if you had an interview during their class time. Dr. Reese and Dr. Marks are 2 key components to helping BE students succeed in getting internships. Also, in general, the way our program is set up some of the classes I took my Junior year prepared me for the work I was doing during my internship.
Internship advice for BE students Go for it! If you want to live alone or find a roommate in a new city, take the chance. Nervous about moving to a new city? Find a roommate, it makes it less intimidating. Location matters, big cities are usually easier to find roommates. Create a budget and stick with it, you will need one!
Favorite part of being a student at MSU: I like the different communities you can be a part of. I found going in as a freshman you find one group of friends that fits. As you go through school there are so many people to meet and you find new friendships that align with your changing life and views. It's a big campus, and some pretty places to study. Midnight screams, life-changing. If you know, you know!
