Intern Extraordinaire Ricardo Garcia assembles a B-Series engine.
Last year we had the opportunity to bring an intern (Ricardo) into the engineering department for the summer. We really weren't planning on having an intern, but he showed a great deal of persistence, and a willingness to "do whatever it takes," including working for free, which are both admirable and rare qualities, so we decided to bring him on for the summer. Like every "low man" before him, we stuck him with a seemingly endless list of cleaning assignments. In a shop environment, cleaning is always the first rung on the ladder, and many people never pass this first test. Much like Daniel-san learning the basics of karate from what appeared to be the mundane chores of waxing cars, painting fences, and sanding floors, the reality is, if you pay attention while you're cleaning the Skunk2 shop, you gain an intimate understanding of not only the shop, but also the parts and equipment basic to the job. And, believe it or not, we can tell a lot about a person's character from how he approaches cleaning and the pride he takes in the results. On top of cleaning, they have to pass the test of dealing with me, someone who has a reputation for being hard-ass and very demanding. If they pass the test, then the R&D team and I teach them more.
Well, to make a long story short, Ricardo passed the test and, though he was still responsible for cleaning, he was eventually exposed to many areas of the R&D department including: engine building, parts assembly, race support, testing, CAD drawing, and CNC machining.
The only thing that upsets me about Ricardo is that after all the torture and pain I put him through, he still has the nerve to thank me personally (see email below), to which I respond: HEY BUDDY, KEEP IT QUIET. YOU'RE COMPROMISING MY REPUTATION FOR BEING A HARD-ASS.
And for those that are wondering, no, we didn't make him work for free. We paid him with beef jerky and Gummi Bears.
Ricardo's Email:
Hey Dave,
I hope things at Skunk2 are going great. I’ve been following along with your blogs and I’ve found them to be quite interesting and intriguing.
I would like to thank you again for the opportunity you gave me at Skunk2 as an engineering intern. It has helped open doors for me with my career path because Honda and General Motors are interested in me working for them after I graduate. Both automotive companies have interviewed me at their facilities at their expense. In fact, Honda flew me to Raymond, Ohio for an interview for their crash testing and safety division and General Motors interviewed me at Detroit, Michigan for a position as a power-train engineer. Gratefully, I’ve been offered career positions at both companies!
Academically, things are wonderful because I’m in the middle of my senior project where I and two fellow school mates are designing, fabricating, and testing a stand-up wheelchair. The intended use of the wheel chair is to aid a 4 year old boy named Nathan. Nathan is diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Antropy, which is a progressive weakening of his muscles. Nathan is unable to walk or let alone stand up. The current method to support the child is with a full body brace which basically makes him fully rigid. This is very uncomfortable; therefore, with the aid of our wheel chair, he will be able to stand up a little more comfortably and naturally. The use of the standup wheel chair will also provide a better means of body movement, which helps alleviate many problems of current standup wheels in the market. This project has meant so much to me, because for the first time I can directly change an individual’s life for the better by applying the knowledge and confidence I’ve gained from my academics.
Again, I would like to thank you personally for the knowledge you shared and the doors you and your company has helped open and I hope to keep in touch.
Sincerely,
Ricardo David Garcia
Mechanical Engineering Student
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