Buckeyes benefit from engineering internship in Germany

When sketching out his future, he drew the conclusion that he belonged at Ohio State Newark as an engineering technology major. “I could tell they really teach to the individual,” said Haikal, who is from Hilliard. “They could see my passion and knew how to get me excited.” He’s now entering his second year in the program and “taking real steps to immerse myself in it.”

Taking an international internship is perhaps his biggest step so far. With the help of Ohio State Newark’s career development services and through the generosity of the German company IFZW, he spent five weeks of this summer in Zwickau, Germany. 

“This magical opportunity had everything I wanted,” Haikal said. “I felt like I was guaranteed to build some new skills.”

Thomas Maul made the trip too. The Gahanna native was part of the freshman class that pioneered Ohio State Newark’s engineering technology program two years ago. Now, he’s an Honors student and the president of THE Engineering Technology Association, a student organization. “I knew this internship would help me, and a lot of excitement surrounded it,” he said. “I even grinded on Duolingo trying to learn as much German as I could before we went.”

He, Haikal and a welding student from the Columbus campus flew together to Munich, where they immediately noticed all the windmills and wonderfully intricate architecture. “Those buildings are probably older than our country is,” Maul recalled. From there, they took a four-hour car ride on the famous German autobahn from beautiful Bavaria to the historic city of Zwickau, where they settled into a shared apartment provided by IFZW.

The company makes human and pet crematories, plus hospital incinerators. It brings in several student interns, the Buckeyes being the only international ones. Haikal and Maul mainly took 2D blueprints and turned them into 3D designs using computer-aided drafting (CAD) software. Even though they had never done it before, they occupied a crucial role. “From what I know,” Maul said, “we were the only two 3D CAD people there at the time.”

They learned on the fly and thrived. IFZW required them to finish five projects. They each submitted seven and still found time for different roles on the floor too — Haikal as a welder and Maul operating CNC machines. “That switch isn’t something I could do at a lot of other companies,” Haikal claimed. “IFZW is so flexible and gave me a lot of fun, diverse experiences.”

The pair portrayed their experiences outside of work the same way. They attended two huge matches for Zwickau’s local soccer club. They toured Europe’s largest treasure collection at the Green Vault in Dresden. They visited Leipzig, Cologne, Halle and Chemnitz, among other cities. They learned quickly that cultural immersion isn’t on the periphery of the IFZW experience — it’s an important part of it. “It encourages constant learning,” Maul said. “Not just this engineering internship, but the ability to explore another culture at the same time. You're always learning because everything is new. It was a great experience.”

In five fast weeks, these Buckeyes bolstered their resumes and their cultural competence. Specifically for Haikal, once just that acutely curious kid, it also bolstered the belief that he’s on the right path. “I really felt validated in my own interests,” Haikal confidently said. “It's reinforced that engineering is what I want to do.”