College students all over the world search for internships where they can apply what they learn in their classes in a real-world setting. Additionally, internships offer opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in their field of interest, all before graduating.
For engineering intern Gina Munoz-Quintero, interning for South Plains Electric Cooperative during the summer of 2018 was a great experience.
Munoz-Quintero, originally from Colombia, came to Lubbock to pursue a master’s degree at Texas Tech University. She received her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Universidad del Norte in Colombia. She is also a power electronics research assistant at Texas Tech.
Internships can play an important role for college students who are preparing to enter the work force. Because of her interest and knowledge of power systems, Munoz-Quintero wanted to find an internship where she could strengthen and apply that knowledge. She found out about SPEC through her classmates and pursued the lead. This was her first job experience.
As an intern with SPEC, Munoz-Quintero worked on system planning analysis, backfeed systems and relay controls.
“I have learned a lot from the engineering department and am appreciative for that,” Munoz-Quintero said. “As an intern, you want to get the most experience and learn as much as you can.”
Brandon Loth, system planning analyst for SPEC and Munoz-Quintero’s supervisor, feels that the engineering interns at SPEC get a lot more exposure than they would at another business. “Other companies have very structured internship programs, so interns only see a small portion of what goes on, whereas with our interns, they see the entire process and are part of whatever happens during the day,” Loth said. “Interns will find themselves with a lot more responsibilities at SPEC than with other internships.”
South Plains Electric Cooperative is proud to offer internship opportunities to college students pursuing degrees in various areas. If you are interested in learning more about SPEC internship opportunities, please contact Tahnee Truitt at [email protected].
