Acensium recently had a student shadowing team members before he heads off to Wake Forest to begin engineering school. Michael Burton, graduating high-school senior, visited power plants, sat in on business presentations and learned about technical tasks during the time he worked with the team. Before he could visit the plants Michael had to undergo safety training just like any employee. Once on the job site, Michael assisted with collecting scans that he later compiled in the office alongside the team. We caught up with Michael to learn more about his experience.
Q: As a graduating senior headed to college, what drew you to Acensium for your project?
A: As a student that enjoys math and science (specifically physics) engineering was immediately my top choice of subject that I wanted my internship focused around. I remember when Mr. Schwartz came to my school to give a presentation about Acensium. I was amazed by how the laser-scans could mark so many points in just a few minutes. When it came time to ask people to host our internships I remembered how much I enjoyed Mr. Schwartz’s presentation. I eventually was able to contact Mr. Schwartz and he accepted my internship and I guess you could say the rest is history.
Q: What were some of your experience when visiting power plants, getting safety training and sitting in on engineering presentations?
A: It was an experience that no class in high school could have ever given me. Being able to see how day to day business is done through presentations was a unique experience that I don’t think many of my classmates had the opportunity to witness.
Q: In putting together your presentation, what were the key takeaways from your experience that became part of your project?
A: Personally my biggest take away from the project was the experience of being an Engineer for a few days. My project, however, was more focused on the laser scanners and how a power-plant works. It was very satisfying to explain how complex machinery like 3D laser-scanners and entire power plants worked to my friends, family, and teachers.
Q: What did you learn about collecting 3D laser-scans and how to review them back in the office?
A: I learned how to create 3D building scans using a laser scanner, and with the kindness and patience of the other employees at Acensium, I was shown how to merge scans and mark dimensions. As an employee, I am still learning more and more each day.
Q: What excites you about 3D scanning and the future of the technology?
A: I am most excited to see how advanced 3D building scanning will be when I am graduating college. From my understanding, today’s laser-scans can do in 3 minutes what laser scans from 10 years ago took up to 30 minutes to do. I am curious if the technology will hit a wall or continue to exponentially grow.
Q: How do you think this experience will help you in college?
A: This experience will help me in many ways in college, but I think it will have the most impact as the light at the end of the tunnel. My internship gave me an idea of what I will be working towards while in college. I think that a lot of college students (and I know almost all high school students) don’t really know what being a professional worker will be like in their field of interest; my internship at Acensium gave me the opportunity to practically be an Engineer for a few days. I can now say that I know what an average day for an Engineer is like and I have never been more excited for my future!
Michael learned so much during his time with Acensium, we’ve brought him on as a paid employee to help with scanning jobs in North Carolina where he will be at school. Stay tuned for an update interview soon where we will discuss Michael’s experiences as a new Acensium employee!
