Katherine Olives
Duro UAS is a manufacturer of unmanned autonomous systems (i.e. drones) for environmental research and urban development. As a participant in the Zahn Summer Internship Program, the company was matched with five student interns. , Operations Manager at , shares his thoughts about the program in the reflection below.
鈥淎s the Operations Manager at Duro UAS, one of my responsibilities is to manage our Youth Development Initiative. While I see the value that our company brings to our partnering high schools almost every day, I underestimated the value that youth could bring to our company. That is, until we participated in the Zahn Innovation Center's Internship Program.
鈥淭he Zahn student participants came from a range of backgrounds and experience levels, and each one brought fresh perspective to the company. With their help we were able to fill out our vehicle teams with fresh mechanical, computer, and electrical engineering talent, and take our project to the next level.
鈥淚n addition to engineering talent, we also hired a marketing manager through the Program who has played an important role in shaping the company's brand, creating and , and performing outreach.
鈥淭he 10-week Program was well organized by the Zahn Center, which assisted with various aspects of the intern on-boarding and management process. They vetted potential candidates and kept in touch with them weekly during the Program, assisting with soft skill development such as networking and goal setting.
鈥淭he Zahn Program is important for both students and companies because it effectively bridges the gap between academia and the workforce. Students contribute to real-world projects in a hands-on environment, while companies benefit from emerging talent.
鈥淒uro UAS wholeheartedly recommends the Zahn Internship Program for any company looking for a jumpstart on the next generation of talent. Their student participants are energetic, creative, and passionate about learning the ins and outs of business. As a testament, we've decided to hire four Zahn student interns to work with us full time. We have benefited greatly from their input, and look forward to working with many of them well into the future.鈥
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