mentoring engineering intern julia kraus

One of my primary focuses as a woman in the manufacturing industry has always been to inspire other young women to get involved in the field. This year I had the pleasure of mentoring Julia Kraus, a Mechatronics Technology student.

Julia was an engineering intern at my company, where she focused on automation and the role it plays within engineering and manufacturing. Prior to being an engineering intern, Julia had intended to pursue a career in elementary education. She then discovered the Mechatronics Technology Certificate program at College of Lake County, and decided to take a deeper dive into the realm of engineering.

During her time at HM Manufacturing, Inc. we were able to build upon the knowledge she gained from her studies, giving her practical, real-life experience. Julia spent the majority of the 4 month internship working on solidworks, reverse engineering parts for process flow prints, and automation. She also learned how to control and program our robot. For her final capstone project, she drew a full set of jaws in different ranges for our Okuma America Corporation live tooling lathe and RoboJob automation in order to run a multitude of diameter parts.

"There's something different about learning these concepts in school and actually seeing them play out in the real world. Being an intern at HM has exposed me to the different areas of this business, and I feel like I've gotten a deeper understanding of what it takes to work in manufacturing. I've gained a lot more clarity in terms of what I would enjoy doing as a career."
As Julia continues her journey to finding a career, it is my hope that she will carry the knowledge she gained during her time as an intern with her, and move forward with confidence knowing that she has built a strong foundation for herself.
​
Thank you for all of your hard work this year, Julia. I am so proud of you and cannot wait to see what you will achieve in the future!