The great work carried out by Freeport interns this summer was on full display at the company’s annual Intern Conference held late last month in Phoenix.
Of the 273 interns who spent the summer at company sites around North America, 123 were selected to present their projects to peers and company leadership at the two-day event. Those interested in listening could do so in person or virtually.
“The energy and perspective of the interns is always great to see and experience, but even more impressive is the meaningful, impactful work our interns do in their time with us,” said Josh Olmsted, President and Chief Operating Officer-Americas. “For me, the intern program the college team has built over the years fits the definition of a true win-win. Interns get the benefit from real-world experience, and we benefit from their knowledge and insight working on projects for our business.
“On top of everything else, the relationships built between Freeport and the interns are key to sustain our business for the long haul. It’s not just about the summer that they are here, but about the longer term, and building capacity as an organization to take on the future.”
Interns from various business units presented at the conference, representing areas such as engineering, health and safety, communications, environmental, supply chain, accounting, human resources and management information systems. While the scope of their work may have varied, their overall satisfaction with the experience was similar.
Internship provided focus
“Before I came here, I didn’t know what direction my internship would take,” said Abid Ali Khan Danish, an intern from Michigan Technological University working on his doctorate. “But I was excited to find myself working with experts in projects related to decarbonization and mining for a more sustainable future. It was an amazing experience and indeed shifted my interest in this field.”
Marcos Andreu, a Chilean mining doctorate student at the University of Arizona, who conducted a project in process automation, took pride in being part of a highly collaborative team.
“It feels great when you find the knowledge you earned hard at school can be applied in real life. I’m proud that the projects I’ve been doing could make a difference here,” Andreu said.
William Zupanci, a junior in finance and economics at the University of Iowa, summed up his internship experience as “exhilarating and fulfilling.” Zupanci completed three projects related to mining acquisitions and reserves reporting and metrics.
“I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to join Freeport as an intern,” Zupanci said. “The work culture here is amazing. It’s probably one of the best in the industry. Every part of the project and work was fascinating. I was lucky enough that my manager, David LeBlanc (Senior Manager-Corporate Development), let me have as much freedom on a project that’s really the pinnacle of my career interests.”