GO CAPS Students Continue their Paths of Success in SRC's Internship Program
Westin Easley's business improvement product won first place in GO CAPS's Innovation Accelerator Program.
This past summer, Logan Kunkel of Kickapoo High School and Westin Easley of Parkview High School participated in SRC's internship program at the Heavy Duty location. However, Kunkel and Easley were not your traditional interns.
Both Kunkel and Easley graduated high school this past year and were given the opportunity to join SRC's internship program without any college experience. This was possible through the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce's Greater Ozarks Centers for Advanced Professional Studies (GO CAPS) Program. The yearlong program allows high school juniors and seniors to "test drive" different career path options and explore the business world before attending higher education. Through facility tours, guest speakers and job shadowing, Kunkel and Easley learned more about engineering and manufacturing than they could have ever imagined. "GO CAPS really gives kids the opportunity to test out the field they are wanting to go into and see if it's really something they want to do," stated Easley in an interview, "If it wasn't for GO CAPS, I would not have had this internship opportunity and not have the knowledge and drive I have today."
Logan Kunkel (back row; left) and Westin Easley (back row; middle), along with the fellow interns at Springfield Remanufacturing Corporation's Heavy Duty location, gave presentations about their summer projects to their superiors.
When Kunkel and Easley were offered the intern positions, they jumped on the opportunities. Easley served as an engineering intern in the turbo department while Kunkel served as a supply chain intern on the shop floor. Their colleagues were both grateful and impressed by their respect for others, desire to learn and willingness to work.
Both Kunkel and Easley learned invaluable lessons through both GO CAPS and SRC's internship program that cannot be found in any classroom. When asked about his experiences, Kunkel told us what every teacher wants for their students, "I think I learned how to be an employee of a business [...] things like how to show up on time, work with other people, and be accountable for myself and others."
These young professionals are not stopping here, though. Kunkel will attend Oklahoma State University in the fall to begin studying mechanical and aerospace engineering. Easley plans to continue using the career development benefits at SRC. He plans to attend Ozarks Technical Community College and study general engineering while participating in SRC's tuition reimbursement program.
Want to join SRC's internship program? Learn more about SRC's career development opportunities.
