The Society of Chemical Industry Scholars have award- ed an internship opportunity to Nathan Castro, sophomore chemical engineering student in the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University.
Since the opening of the new building in 2018, the program has steadily been expanding and becoming more established. The Society of Chemical Industry Scholars’ Internship Pro- gram is designed to give college sophomore or junior students experience in the engineering eld before they graduate.
The experience is what initially drew Castro to apply for the internship opportunity.
“I really want to thrive in college. I know that some people wait for junior year to intern, but I figured it’s a great idea to get involved as soon as you can,” Castro said.
Castro also attributes his success to the important roles the College of Engineering program and professors have played in helping him prepare for the internship.
“The classes do a really great job of integrating the hands-on aspect,” Castro said. “That’s probably the reason why CBU engineering has skyrocketed.”
Blake Aronson, program manager at the American Chemical Society, emphasized the competitive nature of this particular internship.
“The number of awards is determined solely by the number of positions offered by the companies,” Aronson said. “So it varies each year. This year, we had 23 positions to ll.”
Dr. Mark Anklam, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, said this award will have a lasting impact on the reputation of the school’s engineering program.
“Having a student be selected for a prestigious internship program is, of course, great for both the student and the engineering program. It shows that we have both high-quality students and a high-quality program,” Anklam said. “It also shows that students in the chemical engineering program have opportunities to be recognized for their excellence.”
Anklam also emphasized how the engineering programs at CBU place a high priority on internships and other hands-on experiences in a student’s col- lege career.
“Because the College of Engineering stresses the importance of internships and requires an internship for graduation, students are aware of why internships and practical experience are a crucial part of their education,” Anklam said.
Commitment to practical experiences is something Aronson said can have a major impact on the student who chooses to take advantage of it.
“You get out of an internship what you put into it,” Aronson said. “If you look for opportunities to grow and develop new skills, you will find them.”
