Experience Matters - Grand Valley State University

Legislative Aide

Immaculata
Major: Political Science In this memo, we'll delve into the nuances between the Cherry/Wilson package (Senate Bills 486-492) and the Mobile Home Industry package (House Bills 4886-4889), providing insights into their objectives, impacts, and key differences. The Cherry/Wilson package aims to address a range of issues, including housing affordability, infrastructure development, and environmental sustainability. Senate Bills 486-492 offer targeted solutions such as tax incentives for green housing initiatives, funding for infrastructure upgrades, and measures to expand affordable housing options. However, concerns have been raised regarding the allocation of resources and the potential impact on existing homeownership programs. House Bills 4886-4889 focus on regulatory reforms and financial assistance for the mobile home industry, aiming to improve standards, affordability, and consumer protections. These bills propose measures such as licensing requirements for mobile home park operators, grants for infrastructure improvements, and mechanisms to address rent stabilization. While the bills have garnered support from industry stakeholders, questions remain about their long-term effectiveness and implementation challenges. The Cherry/Wilson package offers comprehensive solutions to broader housing issues, potentially benefiting a wider range of constituents. However, its impact may be diluted by competing priorities and funding constraints. In contrast, the Mobile Home Industry package targets specific challenges within the mobile home sector, offering tailored solutions but potentially overlooking broader housing needs. In summary, the Cherry/Wilson package adopts a holistic approach to address housing challenges, while the Mobile Home Industry package focuses on targeted reforms within a specific sector. The former emphasizes broader policy objectives, whereas the latter prioritizes industry-specific concerns. Understanding these differences is crucial for informed decision-making and effective legislative. As policymakers, it's imperative to weigh the merits and implications of both bill packages carefully. By considering the diverse needs of constituents and stakeholders, we can craft policies that promote equitable access to safe, affordable housing while fostering economic growth and sustainability. Another task that I completed was drafting tributes for different organizations within the district of Representative.

AmeriCorps Internship!

Victoria
Major: Criminal Justice As an AmeriCorps member, it was my job to build capacity and help the organization grow in some problem areas. I primarily work with the resettlement team, who assist refugees their first 90 days in the country, and the community engagement team. I communicate with donors and uphold partnerships with nonprofits to help acquire resources and items to assist our clients.

Winter 2024 Aspen

Josh
Major: Mechanical Engineering I was (am) responsible for various manufacturing machines and processes. I am responsible for 3D scanning, scan to CAD software, 3D scanning inspection/validation software, CNC programing software, CAD modeling software and 2D vision inspection systems.

Mission Design and Automation Co-op Experience

Marcus
Major: Electrical Engineering I worked on two different projects throughout my Co-op experience that provided me with very different experiences. The first project I worked on I was able to be the sole controls engineer on the job and was able to see the project through from start to finish. This meant I was able to get the time in preliminary software's such as AutoCAD electrical working on the prints, to working on the PLC and debugging on the floor, to seeing the customer come in and be very pleased with their runoff. The second project I worked on was a much larger project where I had the pleasure to work alongside a handful of other controls engineers also on the same job. This variation in job size throughout the rotation was something I really enjoyed and am extremely glad I was able to receive.

Second Co-op Rotation

Dante
Major: Mechanical Engineering Small-scale production while investing in the improvement and changes in the production process while helping in the applications and quoting areas as well.

SoundOff Signal Winter ý24 Co-op

Jacob
Major: Mechanical Engineering Documentation, including project requirements documents, certification documents, and DFMEA. Continued to build experience with mechanical design and development validation testing. Worked with external suppliers and dealerships. Introduced to injection molded parts.

Working in L3Harris's CAS department

Izik
Major: Electrical Engineering I learned quite a bit about the flight recorders that L3Harris makes along with some of their other product lines. I was tasked with a good mix of production issues and then improvement projects that helped the production line and test engineering department as well. The main task was updating documentation for a test station and building it from the documentation I made.

Second Co-Op Rotation at JR Automation

Nicholas
Major: Mechanical Engineering During my second rotation at JR Automation, my primary activities included designing assemblies to be built for custom automation applications, creating drawing packages, and assisting with in house projects as well as post-production modifications.

Magna Co-op 1st roataion

Daniel
Major: Mechanical Engineering At Magna, I performed a variety of tasks, these tasks usually included: taking measurements for mirrors and mirror components, building mirror subassemblies, measuring components to ensure everything was within tolerance, and cleaning mirrors. Aside from these more common tasks, I have participated in various small projects like performing gauge R&Rs on various tools we have at the plant, I have also utilized a thermal chamber to see if the mirrors color and bleach at acceptable speeds at extreme temperatures like 50 C or -30 C. I have also operated an Instron machine to perform some tests, like what the pull-off force for the wires is when connected to the solder of mirrors, another test I did was finding what force it takes to have a mirror pop off its mount, and if that force is within its target area.

EGR 390 - 2nd Co-op Rotation - Mechanical Design Intern

Kaylor
Major: Mechanical Engineering As an intern with little experience in the industry, I mostly do existing drawings based on "as-built" prints whenever possible. However I also have done load calculations for buildings, HVAC piping design, domestic plumbing design, demolition design, and some sheet metal design as well. I have also looked through specifications and cut sheets to calculate which mechanical equipment would be the best performance, as well as efficiency calculations based on utility bills for certain buildings. Every week I find myself doing something new for different projects based on what work needs to be done and who needs help at that time.

Axis Automation Co-op

Hannah
Major: Computer Engineering I was able to work on a few machines this semester which included PLC programming, HMI designing, electrical panel design and debugging, and creating design drawing packets.

Manufacturing Engineer Intern

Ryan
Major: Mechanical Engineering I have made multiple logs which help to monitor shop floor equipment. I created a powder coat recipe book to inform new operators of the proper settings to utilize depending on the parts painted. I have designed and quoted out multiple material transfer carts. I have designed and fabricated new CNC tapping tables. As well as the design, project organization, and fabrication of new window assembly tables.

Genie in a Bottle

Josh
Major: Mechanical Engineering Through this semester, I was tasked with the responsibility for several work centers and the capital equipment within these work centers used for production. These work centers included filling, assembly, pick and place applications, automated die punching, packaging, printing, bagging and inspection. Additionally, I was one of the CAD, 3D scanning, CNC programming and fabrication subject matter experts.

SoundOff Signal - Co-op II

Marcus
Major: Mechanical Engineering Over the semester I was tasked with 60% of my work being focused on a few larger projects, and 40% of my work being non-project work. The larger projects focused on product development, fixing recurring problems found in the field, updating products to match new and upcoming vehicle refreshes, and even working with other companies to develop new and innovative designs for future products. The smaller non-project work was focused on helping out other engineers and supporting them on their projects. I did a bunch of data collection, prototyping and building, running "errands'' to different outsourcing companies, and other supportive tasks. One of my larger projects was designing and building portable display boards for our Fire/EMS lighting. It was an incredible learning experience and I got to learn about our company's products, the design process, working with suppliers, working in a team, and seeing a project all the way through.

Second Rotation at RDI

Sean
Major: Mechanical Engineering A majority of my time was spent working on CAD files. I also cleaned and stored the casting tools after they were used, and I sent emails and filed paperwork for the engineering department. I also conducted some reverse-engineering on new parts that were transferred to the foundry.

Hudsonville Athletics

Naomi
Major: Sport Management I collaborated with the athletic director on various daily responsibilities, including ensuring referee presence at games, offering hospitality services, managing events and games, and conducting research of the competitive landscape within the OK Conference

Second Co-op Rotation

Jason
Major: Electrical Engineering The tasks that I was assigned to do was to write software tests, find bugs in a system, and building products.

Co-Op rotation 2

Benjamin
Major: Mechanical Engineering I was asked to program and integrate many different types of equipment such as robots, conveyors, motors, sensors, etc. and program a PLC to allow the machine to function as intended.

Trane Technologies Engineering Co-op Rotation 2

Matthew
Major: Biomedical Engineering I was in charge of keeping building graphics updated for the control projects, and creating or ordering new ones when they were needed. I also worked on a few projects to develop controls for buildings, and helped out the other engineers with drawings for their projects. Finally, I was in charge of handing the parts that came in for all of our projects and makings sure they were documented and stored correctly.

Co-op at Phase 1

Isabelle
Major: Electrical Engineering At Phase 1, I worked on GPS trackers, linear motors, PCB designs, and schematic capture. These all were huge applications to the projects I helped complete.

A Great Environment

Ian
Major: Electrical Engineering During my internship I was able to get an fpga program that runs MAPS (Modular active protection system) up and running. I got the same fpga with different firmware to send and receive data over TSN (time sensitive networking), and I designed a gui application from the ground up that would create configuration files for a bridged endpoint.

Coopersville Recreation Admin

Connor
Major: Sport Management I had to help set up equipment at the beginning of the season as well as help with any errands Matt needed help with. I also had to referee basketball games. We make suer that all events and practices are running smoothly.

Coopersville Rec

Diamond
Major: Sport Management While doing my internship for the Fall sports I started as an assistant coach for the 3rd and 4th grade girls' basketball team as well as a referee for the 1st and 2nd boys and girls' basketball teams. For Spring sports I helped with Soccer and Softball with setting up and assisting Matt in anything he needed. Last I also helped with TikTok by posting videos and showcasing the kids' talents.

Grand Rapids Gold Internship Experience

Sam
Major: Sport Management In this job, you are expected to complete game day related tasks. These tasks ranged from ticket sales, merchandise sales, security, team assistance, and promotional assistance. Along with this, interns helped support both operations and marketing teams during Grand Rapids Gold game days.

Service Engineer Co-op

Mark
Major: Electrical Engineering Over the entirety of my co-op rotation, I completed two main tasks. The first task I completed was programming for a machine that aided in the assembly of luxury car grills. The main thing I did was help use a LIN protocol to set the software for these car grills. The other task I completed was to provide service to various customers when a problem arose. This gave me a variety of experiences in problem-solving.