Heights senior soars in engineering internship

Last summer, Heights High senior Cameron Herring worked two internships, giving him a view of natural history research and the engineering side of First Energy electric company. While he enjoyed helping in the research labs at the Natural History Museum, his first love is engineering.

Herring is enrolled in the engineering technology program, and instructor Yvonne Schiffer suggested that he apply for the Future Connections summer internship.

“I really liked seeing how the engineers evaluate each problem,” said Herring. “And it was great to see what it takes to be an engineer at First Energy.” He spent time with the external affairs manager and learned about the big and small problems that need to be solved every day. He also spent time learning from several engineers who design substations for corporate clients, and accompanied others on pole checks where engineers remotely check the operations of each electric pole.

One of Herring’s interests is in computer-aided design (CAD). Last year, as a junior, he created the drawings for the program’s entry into a robotics competition. “Cam is very good at the CAD programs and helped our team win several trophies last year,” said Schiffer. Herring said that he now sees how important and marketable those CAD skills are in the engineering world.

“The internship confirmed my interest in engineering and I know that this class gave me an edge in getting the internship,” he said. He plans to apply to engineering schools at The Ohio State University, The University of Cincinnati, and Case Western Reserve University. He also plays on the varsity lacrosse team.