Hayden Schmidt, (left) a Construction Management student from Rockford, was one of
three Ferris State University students whose Summer 2019 internships were supported
by the Michigan Corporate Relations Network. The MCRN's Small Company Internship Award
program provided half of Schmidt's wages (up to $3,500) to the Grand Rapids-based
general contractor.Three Ferris State University College of Engineering Technology students gained experience through summer internships, which received support from a state program.
The Michigan Corporate Relations Network, which includes all the state’s four-year publicly-funded universities as either direct or affiliate members, reported that 122 students were placed at 109 sites, thanks to the Small Company Internship Award program. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Michigan Strategic Fund Board support the MCRN, which awarded more than $348,000 in internship funding assistance. The network provided half of each intern’s wages, up to $3,500.>
Angela Roman, the director for Ferris’ Center for Leadership, Activities and Career Services, said the Ferris SCIA interns for 2019 included:>
- James Fuhrman, a senior from Yale in Construction Management, who received hands-on experience with Midwest Construction Group in Zeeland;
- Jacob Leonard, of Reed City, who was placed with Eckhart Engineering in Reed City. He is now considering his career options, after completing the internship required for his Electrical/Electronics Engineering Technology degree by serving as a controls engineering intern; and
- Hayden Schmidt, of Rockford, who was among a group of Ferris students who served at a.j. Veneklasen, a general contractor with headquarters in Grand Rapids. Schmidt, a senior, served as an assistant superintendent intern.
Roman said this was the first summer that CLACS oversaw the SCIA program, after years of administration by the College of Engineering Technology. Michigan Corporate Relations Network guidelines require that employers who are eligible for grant support to provide these internships have a focus in the sciences, technology, engineering or mathematics field.