In May 2023 I successfully completed my application and interviews for a Naval Reactors Engineer position with the US Navy. I enlisted in the Navy while I complete my degree and will begin working as a Naval Reactors Engineer in August 2024.

I was awarded an Undergraduate Research Fellow (URF) scholarship from Utah State for my academic performance, potential to succeed as a researcher, and personal merit. As a URF, I sought out ways to get involved in undergraduate research. I spent my time in an additive manufacturing lab, where we looked to characterize the material properties of 3D printed metal alloys by performing tensile testes on 3D printed specimens. I also led in the development of a new project, looking to determine a method to 3D print metal alloys in a microgravity environment.

During my 14-week internship with Chromalox, my team's main objectives were to reduce lead times, improve production efficiency, and reduce employee turnover. We accomplished this by developing work instructions for use by the production floor. Our work instructions translated complex engineering drawings into simple step-by-step instructions to assist less-knowledgeable and newer production staff. We ultimately doubled production output and received positive feedback from new employees.We also worked as part of a larger, interdisciplinary team to map out value streams and track the flow of product through the plant. We used Lean manufacturing principles to identify problem areas and decrease lead times across the production plant.Finally, my team assisted engineers by modeling custom heating units in AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor.

During my summer internship with Bonnell Aluminum, I was able to work on several projects, including custom tooling design, continuous improvement of the manufacturing plant, and the design of an automated machine cell.I used Solidworks to design custom tooling for a CNC mill to allow machining for a new part that was brought into production at the end of the summer. I worked closely with a manufacturing engineer in several design reviews to optimize the design. Additionally, I reverse-engineered tooling designs, creating CAD models of existing tooling in Solidworks to update Bonnell Aluminum's library of CAD models.I also worked closely with Bonnell Aluminum's Lean manufacturing department to implement continuous improvement suggestions throughout the manufacturing plant. These improvements ranged from updating shadow boards of needed tools, rearranging manufacturing areas, inventorying thousands of shipping containers, and updating work and maintenance procedures .Finally, I worked as part of a team of engineers on the development of an automated machine cell. This cell used robotic arms to automatically feed parts into CNC mills for machining. As part of this team, I worked on the safety aspect of the design. I designed guarding that surrounded the machine cell, ensuring that the guarding did not interfere with the needed range of motion and layout of robotic arms and other machinery.

I served as a Spanish-speaking religious volunteer. I worked 12-hour days, talking with and teaching people of various ages and backgrounds. I led groups of up to 8 other volunteers, coordinating their efforts and helping them reach their goals. Lastly, I maintained an inventory of needed supplies, distributing them to volunteers across many different cities as needed.