- Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.
My STEP signature project was an internship. I had a co-op with the medical device company Ethicon (part of Johnson and Johnson) in Cincinnati, Ohio. During this time, I was on the cost savings team as a development co-op and worked on various cost savings projects.
- What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.
I grew much as a person through my time at Ethicon. I gained confidence, I learned much about engineering, where I want my career to go, and my strengths and weaknesses. Going into the co-op I had much anxiety about doing well enough. I now know that I’m capable and that I will figure things out with time and effort. Ethicon taught me much about the engineering process and how it is accomplished such as the importance of statistics or how to approach different types of issues/projects. I also learned that I would love to go into the medical device industry after college as I feel fulfillment from working with this life saving technology. Lastly, I feel I know more about how I react in tough situations and feel much more prepared to use my strengths and support myself where I have weaknesses.
- What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.
The first day of my co-op I stepped into an unfamiliar environment. I was out of my comfort zone. I was hearing about unknown words and meeting a completely new set of people. Stepping into a new environment like that has been the catalyst for the positive changes I experience during this time. I was quickly supported by the team at Ethicon and was taught the basics of the business and how things work.
Although I was supported, I had to grow on my own. I was given my own project to own and complete. I was concerned I was not fit to be able to accomplish this goal and that I was in over my head. Everyone around me was incredibly smart and talented and I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. I took some steps back and focused on the task at hand. Through hard work, my own development, and support from my team, I eventually finished this project that I owned. Looking back on this gives my confidence in my own abilities to adapt to new situations and make the most of difficult challenges. This project, along with my other responsibilities, taught me valuable engineering skills by working with medical devices and learning about their requirements and functions.
Another important catalyst for change for me was hearing about the impact of these devices. During my time at Ethicon, I was able to talk to experienced engineers about their time at Ethicon. The most impactful of these was a discussion about how the newest version of a device saved many lives as it was much more effective. Learning about how my work could potentially save so many brought me new determination to be a great engineer that hopefully works in the medical device industry.
After going through the challenges of a new and difficult environment, I feel like I had a great success. I helped with many projects, met many people, made new friends, and felt like Ethicon could be a great company to go back to someday. These challenges helped improved my engineering skillset and my personal strength.
- Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.
This change has been incredibly significant to my life. Academically, I have more purpose with my schooling and want to learn to be a better engineer, and not just finish my classes for a degree. Personally, I feel way more confidence in myself, I met new friends who I hope to stay in touch with, and I have more pride in myself. In terms of my professional goals and future plans, I am now pursuing a future co-op role at Ethicon for the Summer of 2025 and would love to work at Ethicon full time.
