Interns Gain Valuable Experience Helping EM Fulfill Cleanup Mission in Idaho

Participants in the Idaho Environmental Coalition's Summer Intern Program present to senior directors and managers before the end of their internships. Pictured from left, back row, Hannah Fuquay, Grace Savage, Gerardo Garcia, William "Cade" Adamson, Joshua Deere, and Kolton Holt; middle row, Rafael Velasquez Vanegas, Carlie Prinster, Kylie Eaton, Eliza Jo Nims-Langlois, Jordyn Southwick, Braxton Green; and front row, Nathan Weber, Leamarie Mitchell, Cesar Reyes, and Jonathan Murillo.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho - A group of 16 summer interns from colleges and universities throughout the United States this year joined the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) contractor at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site, supporting communications, accounting, engineering, waste management and other organizations.

The Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC) intern program is mutually beneficial to students and the company. It gives students firsthand experience working in a variety of jobs, learning what it's like to work in the nuclear cleanup industry. It also gives IEC supervisors and managers a chance to see if the students are a good fit for future employment needs in their departments.

Rafael Velasquez Vanegas interned with engineers working on IEC's project to retrieve a radioactive waste known as calcine for his second summer with the company. Last summer, he proposed installing a cellular booster to increase efficiency within the former Fuel Reprocessing Restoration Facility, which was constructed in the late 1980s to reprocess spent nuclear fuel and recover unused uranium. Without a booster, service in the building is almost nonexistent, making it difficult to troubleshoot issues happening in the facility. The project liked Velasquez's suggestion and, this summer, he helped implement the plan.

"It feels good to have worked on a project that, last year, felt a bit like busy work, but then flowered into a project with real implications. My research and proposal are being reviewed by engineers and funds are being allocated for the project," said Velasquez. "This more traditional engineering role has helped me really improve in planning and detail. I have a much better appreciation for the minutiae that goes into any large project."

Rafael Velasquez Vanegas supported the Idaho Cleanup Program's Calcine Project as an intern for the second summer in a row. This year, he helped oversee the implementation of an idea he had in 2023.

The intern program gives IEC supervisors and managers a chance to train the rising generations. This is crucially important for the Idaho Cleanup Project because, like many EM sites across the country, a large percentage of cleanup employees are or will be retiring in the near future. A benefit for EM sites is the chance to educate the next generation of workers on the mission needs, as well as to tap into their skillsets derived from college or university curriculums.

IEC is selective choosing interns in hopes these students become employees after completing their undergraduate or graduate degrees. Not only do departments look at resumes, letters of recommendation, cover letters and grades during interviews, but they also try to determine if the students' skills match with the departments' needs.

"We don't just look for academic and industry knowledge, we also look for skills that can't be measured on paper," said Kimberly Davis, IEC cybersecurity specialist. "We look for such qualities as being a self-starter, a team player, a good communicator and what kind of work ethic they have."

Kimberly Davis, Idaho Environmental Coalition cybersecurity specialist, mentors cybersecurity intern Gerardo Garcia.

Before the students left IEC this summer, they gave a presentation to managers and other interns on their job duties and what they learned during their internship.

"The project that taught or stretched me the most this summer was noise sampling of the work groups at INTEC," said Carlie Prinster, an Industrial Hygiene intern, referring to the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. "This project entailed placing dosimeters on employees for a full day and then recording and interpreting that data. It taught me how to take good notes and helped me to improve my professional communication skills."

Positive experiences with IEC encouraged the students to apply for future internships, and many expressed a desire to work for EM following graduation. Hannah Fuquay, who interned with IEC Training and Development, remarked on her experience this summer.

"I learned that everyone plays a part in keeping the momentum going and that everyone's roles are important. I don't know exactly where I will end up or what will happen career-wise after I finish my degree. However, IEC has set a pretty high standard as an employer, which makes it hard to want to go anywhere else."

-Contributor: Leamarie Mitchell