Coming back to something familiar made me feel a little frustrated with the hiring process as a co-op, but I began to understand that this was the best possible circumstance for my college and professional career. For my third term at Toyota, I was brought on as a Production Engineer in Final Assembly Engineering at TMMK in Georgetown, KY. Specifically, I was placed into the Logistics Team, a role not too different than my previous role as an Equipment Engineer for my first term. Going into it, I felt a sense of resentment as I wanted a new experience, and I only had a limited amount of time to spread my metaphorical wings while in college. However, I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by professional and incredibly supportive engineers that make up the FAL-E team. I was held responsible for 7 individual projects where I was acting as Head Engineer. I was responsible for the scheduling of projects, the investigations of current and future vehicle models and their impact on the line, and the communication between our team, the plant and other vendors helping with our projects. More excitingly, I managed my own JKK, or self-assigned improvement projects, when I discovered and investigated a process that could be improved. This led me to practice my product design and file for a patent!
This was a far cry from just about anything I've ever done. I no longer feel any sort of resentment towards my placement on the team. Instead, I believe this was the best possible circumstance I could've been placed in. My manager, Haylie Dennis, and my mentor, Chaise Richter, said it best: If I were to go to a new group, I would simply broaden my horizons, but since I stayed, I deepened my understanding of who I am. I used FAE to test myself and discover who I am as an engineer and person. Being in a comfortable environment is a much easier way to experiment than jumping between new groups and areas.
I'm beyond thankful for my experience this term, and more thankful to those around me that made it as challenging and fun as possible. Just another reason why I love being an engineer: tackling challenges with friends. Next on the to-do list, find another location that is willing to challenge me in the same way.
Process Engineering Manager at Velodyne Lidar, Inc.
3mo🔥