This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
To Marco Tjioe ’09 (North Sumatera, Indonesia) the scientific processes of engineering seemed mystifying, but after an externship at Steel Dynamics, Inc. in Columbia City, Ind., these concepts became more concrete.
Tjioe was among more than 275 students who served two-to five-day externships with Lafayette alumni and other experienced professionals in business, arts, education, healthcare, law, engineering, science, government, and non-profits. The students shadowed the professionals at their workplaces, learning about careers they may consider entering after college, developing professional networking contacts, and building their resumes.
During his time at Steel Dynamics, Tjioe was able to sit in on meetings, work and talk with other engineers, and view the manufacturing process.
“I saw things I would have thought as impossible,” he says. “For instance, I know that metals can be liquefied, but in my mind it feels so distant. This externship has bridged the gap between my knowing and my ‘buying’ the scientific idea, and this is important in engineering because before you go for actual designing, you must first believe that what you are designing can possibly happen.”
As the sixth largest steel manufacturer in the country, Steel Dynamics is an independently financed American company with an annual production capacity to over 4 million tons a year.
Richard Teets ’77, vice-president and general manger, says the company is so large that it was nearly impossible to show Tjioe the entire inner-workings.
“It’s a shame that he couldn’t have seen everything we have to offer and produce,” he says. “But, I think the externship provided him with a view of the steel manufacturing business as if he was working here himself.”
Tjioe praises Teets as a host because he took the time to introduce him to numerous employees and didn’t stay at one particular division for too long.
“I learned something about properties of steel from a metallurgist in the company. Steel is an alloy and there are impurities mixed with iron to make it stronger,” he says. “The main impurity mixed is carbon. The more carbon you add, the stronger the steel will be.”
Teets was impressed with Tjioe’s knowledge of manufacturing and applauded Lafayette’s externship program.
“I think Marco benefited from the program because he was able to be so [engaged] in the process,” he notes. “That’s invaluable when you are deciding what field you’d like to get into in the future.”
While Tjioe isn’t exactly sure what he plans to do upon graduation, he calls his externship experience “unforgettable.”
Tjioe is a member of Lafayette’s Engineers Without Borders, and International Student Association. In addition, he participates in the badminton, table tennis, and martial arts clubs. He is a graduate of NationalJunior College in Singapore.