Engineering Intern Profiles

Name: Monica Telles
Position: Transmision Construction Project Engineering Intern
Work Location: Deer Valley

My name is Monica Telles, currently a senior, pursing a BSE in Electrical Engineering at Arizona State University.  Along with being a fulltime student, I have also been an active member with the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) de ASU, serving as former Vice President for the chapter and current Community Outreach Director.  I have been a member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) as well as the Coalition of Engineering Minority Societies and the Society of Women Engineers (CEMSWE). 

I’ve been interning with APS under the Transmission Construction Project Engineering department since the summer of 2006.  More directly, I’ve been working with the distribution group in Deer Valley.  I’ve had the privilege of working with people that are very passionate in their field and who admire the young generation for their enthusiasm for learning.  Along with a great working atmosphere, APS has provided me with challenging projects that required me to communicate with several departments further enhancing my communication skills along with my technical skills in regards to the construction of substations.

My experience as a year round intern with APS has been challenging yet very rewarding.   Not only has APS been very supportive and flexible with my school schedule, but my experience here will serve as a great tool in the classroom as well.   As APS continues to stride in the industry, so do the opportunities.  APS offers a continual opportunity for advancement in several aspects of the company and has proven to be a company that appreciates its employees and understands the value of family. 

In all, my experience with APS has been amazing.  I greatly appreciate the opportunity I’ve been given, and hope to further establish a permanent working relation with such a great succeeding company.

Name: Jeff Endsley
Position: Engineering Intern
Work Location: Deer Valley

My name is Jeff Endsley. I am a senior at ASU, with my concentration in Power Electrical Engineering. I began my experience with APS in May 2005; my internship with this company has been very rewarding.  I have learned a lot regarding what it is like in the business world in comparison to what it is like at school.  While working underneath my team leader and mentor they both assigned me many tasks.  I would engage in a lot of design work, building new substations or adding new equipment to the current substations. After getting the drawing I designed approved, I then proceeded by using a program called EMAN and MLIS to do all the ordering of the equipment for the substation.  This was a crucial factor because if the needed amount of equipment and parts were not ordered correctly, the job would be delayed. I also had the opportunity to view all parts of Arizona, with my team leader to check on substations to make sure that everything being scheduled would be completed on time. Working with this department made me see that it is not just a sit down job, you get to do work inside and out in the field, which made my internship enjoyable.

My time with APS over the last year and a half has really made me feel like I was already an employee with a degree, taking charge of everything I did.  My first impression when I started about what would occur during my internship, was that someone would show me what’s going on, while I would sit back and evaluate, or go run errands and make copies.  I feel really fortunate that I have had the chance to work for APS.  APS is a great company and I recommend applying to anybody that may be interested. 

Name: Juan Ramirez Jr.
Position: Network Services Engineering and Design
Work Location: Deer Valley

Hi, I’m Juan Ramirez Jr. I graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Spanish minor. Now, I am pursuing a M.S.E.E. with an emphasis in Communications and Signal Processing. My internship started in November of 2005. I have been working at APS in Network Services Engineering and Design under the IS department. During my time as an intern I have had the privilege to work in several projects of varying scope. I’ve had the opportunity to provide support and training on a webconferencing application. Also, I have had the opportunity to assist in the construction of a new APS office as a project coordinator. Currently, I am working with another engineer in my group to construct surveillance systems at our substations. I have even had time to dabble in a little bit of C# code.

Overall, I feel like I have had a very good experience here at APS. I have had the opportunity to work with and meet many talented people from diverse disciplines. Another great aspect of working with APS is their flexibility to work with your academic schedule. If you are an engineering student who wants to work as a systems engineer, this would be a great place to work. Along with being a great place to pursue a career as a systems engineer, APS is a great place for young engineers who want to have a long a promising career in the utility industry due to the fact that a great majority of the workforce is nearing retirement age.

My name is DeVonna Dawes and I attend Fort Lewis College in Durago, Colo.  I am blessed to have been given the opportunity to work at the APS-Four Corners Power Plant and I am hoping to return in the near future. I was able to collaborate with a lot of people in the different areas of the Engineering Department: civil, mechanical and electrical engineers, planners, contractors, surveyors and designers. I learned these positions all work together as a team to get a project completed. Working for APS has given me a broader aspect of what the duties are at Four Corners. The experience has enabled me to meet people and learn a little bit about their positions, get some insights on the background of the plant and most of all the in-depth experience of what I am studying as a career. I was able to incorporate what I learned inside the classroom with my tasks. When I return to school, I can apply what I learned here to what I will be taught.

Name: Elizabeth Sheldon
Position: Instrumentation and Controls Design Engineering Intern
Work Location: Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station

My name is Beth Sheldon, and I am a third-year student at Northern Arizona University .  I am pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering with an emphasis in Computer Engineering, and last summer I was privileged to work on-site at Palo Verde with the I&C Design Engineering team.  The experience was one-of-a-kind, allowing me to work directly with the engineers to help solve current problems at the plant.  Everyone I met at the plant was eager to help and make me feel welcome, whether by hosting a tour of the containment building, letting me assist in a pressure gage inspection, teaching me about Laplace transforms, or simply by instructing me in how the computer system works.  Furthermore, from just the three months I spent at Palo Verde I gained valuable technical, leadership, and communication skills that I can now apply to my final years at NAU as well as to my future career.