The value of internships is not lost on many young people. Not only are they embracing internships, but some are racking up an array of experiences from interning summer after summer, and even signing up for part-time internships during the academic year.

Bryceden Jones graduated this spring from Tuskegee University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. The 2019 BEYA Student-Athlete award winner plans to attend Clemson University this fall to major in city and regional planning. This summer, he is an intern at Pratt & Whitney in Columbus, GA as an engine center intern.

“This is my third internship, my first being in 2017 at FPL/NextEra Energy in Miami, Florida, as a service planner. I executed mechanical engineering-related activities on systems and components to support operation overhauls to maintain reliability, operational goals, and regulatory requirements. In 2018, I returned to the same company, but in a different Florida location as a Distribution Control Center intern.”

The 21-year-old has positive things to say about interning.

“Internships are valuable to me in the sense that it provides continuous opportunities to learn and grow,” said Jones via email. “What better way to master your craft and also use what you are learning in college than a real-time company experience?”

Jones found his latest internship in a somewhat untraditional way.

“Originally, I was searching for full-time [employment] considering I was graduating. When I didn’t get the desired offer, I decided to attend grad school, so I had to change my option pool to that of internships,” said Jones. “Being so late in the recruitment process, most jobs were filled; so, I checked indeed.com and other company sites seeking recent job posting and applied to whatever I could and eventually was blessed to receive a response after less than a week.”

Read other stories in the series: BEYA Student Winners Share their Internship Experiences