Ginikachi Anyene, a senior at Binghamton University’s Watson School of Engineering, recently completed an internship at L3Harris Technologies in their Integrated Mission Systems department. Gini is an Industrial and Systems Engineering major and was matched with L3Harris Technologies through Inroads, an organization that creates connections and career opportunities for ethnically diverse high school and college students across the country.
As a Manufacturing Engineer Intern, Gini gained a vast amount of experience in assembling products, doing CAD drawings, and completing time studies. “I really liked the connections I made,” she says. “I made sure I knew everyone’s names within the first week, and I was able to help with their Lean Six Sigma Initiative.”
During her time at L3Harris Technologies, a vital machine went down. One of the shop workers reached out to her for help due to her ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently. Though they tried to fix the problem themselves, the issue was more advanced than either she or her team member realized. So, in searching for a solution, she turned to the internet.
Gini then discovered UP! and decided to utilize the network to remotely diagnose the issue. She posted the problem to the network and connected with a few service providers who helped the team at L3Harris fix the issue themselves. “I really enjoyed using the app,” she says. “I felt like it was very easy to use and helped us fix the issue quickly. Everyone we talked to was incredibly helpful, and even though they didn’t charge for their services, we tipped them to thank them for their help.”
Growing up, Gini’s older siblings served as inspiring role models for her. Her older sister also majored in engineering, and her brother is a pre-med student. With these influences, she was initially interested in going into pre-med, but quickly discovered that she enjoyed math and applied science far more than biology. Some of her favorite course in school have been Optimization & Operation Research, Quality Engineering, and Non-Violent Compassionate Listening.
Gini was a teaching assistant for Non-Violent Compassionate Listening, and the lessons she learned in this course have stayed with her through her education and work experience. “This course was definitely one for the books! As a teaching assistant I was able to help with the technological issues faced by the virtual world (sharing the screen, presentation mode, setting up class meeting times, etc.), but I also learned from the students. Listening and speaking to a wide array of people is not a simple task. However, when you listen compassionately and speak with purpose, a new era of life reopens! I really enjoyed being a teaching and technology assistant to Dr. Lois Einhorn.”
Gini enjoyed her internship experience and everything it taught her. “I feel that operations management is the type of career I will pursue in the future, but there are so many applications for engineering and manufacturing. If there is something you really enjoy doing, you’ll likely be able to apply it in one of the engineering disciplines.”
UP! is dedicated to growing the manufacturing industry and supporting students as they discover where they can shine in this wide-ranging field. As manufacturers continue to combat the skills gap crisis, we’re helping them find available providers when their machines go down. Learn more about the UP! Network here.
