For the first two summers of college, I was lucky enough to get internship experience at the happiest place on Earth, Walt Disney World.  The first summer, I worked in the Environmental Engineering department, performing tasks like data analysis to see the ways in which we could reduce energy consumption in the parks and resorts.  My second summer, I interned in the Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing department, and my tasks were related to heating, cooling, and facility needs within the parks and resorts.

This summer, because I will be a part time student next fall, I will be in search of another internship instead of a full-time position, preferably with the Walt Disney Company.  I am interested in a number of different departments, all of which would be located in Los Angeles instead of in Orlando.  Two of the teams I am interested in working with are in engineering, and one of the teams I am interested in is actually with the Walt Disney Studios in the film department.

One of the engineering teams is the Ride Mechanical team, which is focused on mechanical design related to the rides.  This team not only does new projects, but also works on the restoration and redesign of older rides.  I think it would be an exciting opportunity to use my SolidWorks skills and apply them to something creative and fun!  The other engineering team falls under Imagineering, and is the Animation Team.  This is not “animation” in the traditional sense, but rather is related to animatronics and special effects that occur in the ride environments.  Again, this would be an awesome opportunity to combine mechanical and electrical skills, and for me to apply what I have learned.

The final opportunity would be for the Walt Disney Studios as a Production Technology intern.  The description for this internship is for someone interested in film and/or engineering – which happens to be exactly me!  As a part of this team, I would test new devices used on set, and I would get to better understand how technology can be used to tell creative stories.

If everything goes according to plan, I will hopefully score one of these three internships, but I am also open to any other opportunities that might be available!

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Samantha Kaplan-2015

Samantha Kaplan-2015

Mechanical Engineering, Class of 2015, Learn more on her profile here!