Each year, Virginia Intern Day celebrates the opportunities extended to students while still in college, helping them find direct pathways for exploring work which could become a career. Occuring each year on July 30, the Department of Mechanical Engineering is seizing on the opportunity to feature nine of our own undergraduate students who have joined programs around the country.

Aditeya Banerjee stands in front of a sign which says, "Welcome to Bechtel."
Aditeya Banerjee at his internship with Bechtel Corporation in Houston, Texas. Photo courtesy of Aditeya Banerjee.

Houston, TX

What’s the job?

I've been assigned to the role of Mechanical Engineering intern within the Port Arthur LNG project, a huge oil and gas project on the Gulf Coast. My responsibilities revolve around rotating between subsystems such as gas turbines, heat transfer systems and ground flares, where I am validating multiple engineering drawings, experimenting with designing heat exchanger systems (shell and tube) and helping contribute to several material take-offs. I think my most recent coursework in Thermodynamics (shout out Dr. Dubik) has been the most applicable to my time here at Bechtel and has really helped me understand the various intricate processes that happen on such a large scale system.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve gotten to do?

One of the coolest projects I've been working on is understanding the axial fuel staging (AFS) mechanisms being studied for the turbines on site. Instead of burning all the fuel in one spot, AFS spreads the fuel injection out along the combustor, so the turbine can run more efficiently while still keeping emissions clean. It's a small change in where the fuel goes, but it makes a big difference in how much power you get out of the same gas while staying compliant to new changing gas regulations.

Where did you find this internship?

Connected with the recruiting team online during high school. Stayed in touch for college recruiting.

Megan Cannon stands in front of a large industrial facility.
Megan Cannon at her internship with the Architect of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy of Megan Cannon.

Capitol Power Plant Engineering Aide
Washington, DC

What’s the job?

Since this is a federal job, I assist with design-build and general maintenance projects for the Capitol Power Plant which provides steam and chilled water (heating and cooling) to 23 federal buildings in DC. The plant is the backbone to keeping the US legislative branch buildings operative, so there are many aspects of security involved as well. I am also familiarizing myself with power plant cycles, like those in Thermodynamics, and learning how the different components (boilers, condensers, turbines etc.) actually function in real time and how they can be continuously improved.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve gotten to do?

One of the coolest projects I’m working on is creating detailed flow diagrams of the plant’s export systems, steam and chilled water. I’ve been spending a lot of time in the plant following the path of equipment and learning how everything connects, then turning what I find into documentation that’s easy for people who are not familiar with it to understand. I’ve gotten to learn hands on how an actual power plant functions while creating something that can help others comprehend these complicated, but critical, systems.

Where did you find this internship?

A LinkedIn post, but I was directed to USAjobs.gov to actually apply.

Nicholas Carneiro stands beside a vehicle.
Nicholas Carneiro at his internship with GM Motorsports in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo courtesy of Nicholas Carneiro.

Vehicle Dynamics XiL Engineer Intern
Charlotte, NC

What’s the job?

I had freedom to explore a lot of different departments. Main responsibilities included making progress towards my project and being able to shadow Driver in the Loop (DiL) sessions of the different teams that use our sims. I also had the opportunity to support NASCAR races by scanning competitor radios, practice with sim to track data corelation, and shadowing Formula 1 race support in the command center.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve gotten to do?

Developed an electrically controlled active brake pedal for the racing simulators (F1, Indycar, NASCAR, IMSA). This involved research into motion cueing and interviewing drivers to find out what feelings are missing to make the sim as immersive as possible to real life. Also designed the mechanical design and programmed the logic of the device.

Where did you find this internship?

Word of mouth/online application

Ghaleeb Hakim stands in front of a large rocket ship with the word, "SpaceX" written on it.
Ghaleeb Hakim at his internship with SpaceX in California. Photo courtesy of Ghaleeb Hakim.

Raptor Turbomachinery Engineering Intern
Hawthorne, CA

What’s the job?

My main responsibility is supporting ramping up the speed and reliability at which SpaceX produces its Starship rocket engine turbo pumps, which are the cryogenic, high-speed pumps that pressurize and feed propellant (liquid oxygen and liquid methane) throughout the rocket engines.

Virginia Tech’s mechanical engineering coursework helped prepare me for the wide range of problem solving and first-principles engineering required in this role, especially in physics & mechanics from classes like Dynamics, Deforms, Elements of Materials Engineering, and Thermodynamics.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve gotten to do?

I get to work on building the turbopumps that power the rocket engines of Starship, which is the rocket SpaceX is developing to return humans the Moon and eventually expand humanity to Mars. 

The coolest part of the role has been getting to watch hardware I’ve worked on launch on Starship flights that are pushing the boundaries of space flight.

Where did you find this internship?

I learned about this internship by chatting with people on LinkedIn who previously had the role, and I got my first interview by directly reaching out to a lead engineer who was hiring on LinkedIn.

Alexander Ibacache stands in front of a banner for the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Alexander Ibacache at his internship with the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Photo courtesy of Alexander Ibacache.

Engineering Laboratory Fellow
Gaithersburg, MD

What’s the job?

Collaborating with professional scientists, I conduct laboratory experiments, design 3D-printed parts, and perform data analysis. My ME coursework prepared me well for this role by equipping me with essential CAD, Excel, and MATLAB skills.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve gotten to do?

Bridging the gap between code and reality by validating computational concrete-cracking models with physical lab tests. Creating concrete samples and analyzing them throughout a multi-week experiment.

Where did you find this internship?

Online through USA jobs

Natalie McDonald stands on a large factory floor.
Natalie Mcdonald at her internship with M.C. Dean in Tysons, Virginia. Photo courtesy of Natalie McDonald.

Mechanical Engineering Intern
Tysons, VA

What’s the job?

This summer, I interned as an engineering intern for the Critical Instructure Solutions strategic business unit to support the design of modular data centers using Revit and AutoCAD. My responsibilities included learning industry design software, coordinating design decisions across engineers from multiple disciplines, and contributing to the development of accurate engineering models and drawings.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve gotten to do?

One of the coolest projects I worked on this summer was Globalstar, a four-module data center that will be placed in Hawaii. It was my favorite project because I got to see all the design decisions come together and directly contribute to the project submittals.

Where did you find this internship?

I met the recruiting team at Engineering Expo.

Ryan Ordway in front of a sign for the Tesla Fremont Factory.
Ryan Ordway at the Fremont Factory for Tesla, the location of his internship. Photo courtesy of Ryan Ordway.

Mechanical Design Engineer, Fremont, CA

What’s the job?

I am instrumenting car crash test dummies with high precision sensors and potentiometers to accurately quantify occupant impact forces and biomechanics. I also calibrate, qualify, troubleshoot, and verify the sensors, potentiometers, and dummies to ensure repeatability and that quality data is collected.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve gotten to do?

I am currently collaborating to develop a unified software designed to streamline Tesla’s vehicle crash and Anthropomorphic Test Devices (ATD) qualification procedures. I am serving as the bridge between the physical lab and the software. I ensure our code accurately matches the physical reality of how our sensors and dummies work by reverse engineering a database to define unified data, parameters, and requirements. The software aims to translate complex physical test variables into easy-to-understand information.

Where did you find this internship?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reached out to the Helmet Lab looking for an intern. After interviewing with them, my interviewer referred me to Tesla which led to my current internship.

Hank Pate stands next to a car in the Dallara facility.
Hank Pate at his internship with Dallara in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo courtesy of Hank Pate.

Dallara design engineer intern
Indianapolis, IN

What’s the job?

I do design work primarily creating parts, jigs and molds for the next generation Indycar and the Indynxt using Catia and Creo.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve gotten to do?

The Indy car is having its first full redesign since 2012 and getting to be apart of a project that will be raced for years to come is awesome.

Where did you find this internship?

Dallara had an on-campus event led by Industry Relations Manager Alyssa Rametta, along with a tour of the ware lab.

Carlos Vera stands in front of a Tesla vehicle with his arms outstretched toward the camera.
Carlos Vera at his internship with with Tesla in Nevada. Photo courtesy of Carlos Vera.

Vehicle Manufacturing Engineer
Fremont, CA / Sparks, NV

What’s the job?

I’m a Manufacturing Engineering Intern supporting automated production equipment for vehicle manufacturing, specifically the new Tesla SEMI. I work on projects focused on improving manufacturing processes, troubleshooting equipment, analyzing production data, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to improve quality, reliability, and efficiency. My coursework and extracurriculars at Virginia Tech has strengthened my analytical thinking and engineering problem-solving skills, which have been valuable in tackling real-world manufacturing challenges.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve gotten to do?

One of the coolest projects I’ve worked on involves optimizing an automation cell for a robotic dispensing process used in vehicle manufacturing. I’ve been analyzing how robot motion affects material application and developing improvements that help maintain consistent quality while increasing production speed. It’s been exciting because it combines robotics, manufacturing, controls, and data-driven problem solving, and I’ve had the opportunity to own the project from testing through implementation.

Where did you find this internship?

Tesla company page