Co-op Ambassador:
Colin Gahagan
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Graduation Date: May 2020
Co-op Company: Bridgestone
Why did you decide to co-op?
From the time I chose to attend Clemson, I knew that I wanted to pursue a co-op assignment. I previously had no experience in a manufacturing environment and was very excited to explore what it had to offer. Coming from a family with proficient finance and accounting backgrounds, I took a risk to be a mechanical engineer and follow my passion. Pursuing a co-op assignment appealed to me as the best logical step to gain the valuable workplace experience that other students unfortunately graduate without.
If you received multiple offers, what made you select the company you chose?
I knew that if I chose to take an assignment at Bridgestone, I would have the awesome opportunity to grow as a mechanical engineer. I had seen the extensive projects that previous co-op students worked on and was immediately intrigued to do the same.
What types of projects did you work on?
Throughout the course of four rotations at Bridgestone’s Aiken Off Road Radial Tire Plant, I worked primarily in the stock cutting and pre-assembly area. I was given the great opportunity to work on numerous machine improvement projects varying in magnitude. I was able to be involved in every step of the design process from problem definition and concept development to procurement and installation. The design projects would be as simple as designing a custom tool for an operator or as complex as overhauling an entire application within the cutting line.
Describe your relationship with your mentor(s) and other colleagues:
Throughout my co-op experience, I was able to contribute as a valuable member of my engineering team. After being given smaller scale projects to get acclimated to the work environment, I was immediately regarded as an engineer with the same respect as my mentors and colleagues in full time positions. Being one of very few co-ops at Bridgestone challenged me to really take on the day to day duties of a full-time engineer. Once I took these challenges with great enthusiasm, my mentor and I developed a seamless working partnership that was extremely efficient to solving problems within our area of the plant.
What was your most memorable moment on assignment (Biggest “Aha!” or biggest “Oops!” moment)?
At one point during my last rotation, my mentor had been on vacation. There had already been multiple occurrences of this throughout my four rotations, but most of them occurred on relatively slow weeks. In this one instance, the week my mentor was out of the office happened to be the same week quarterly business reviews were scheduled for my area. I eagerly accepted the opportunity to present in his place. I took a risk and stepped up into a position where I presented the current status of my entire area’s engineering projects. I left that quarterly business review feeling extremely relieved and accomplished with the thought of “I can really do this as a career”. The accomplishment I felt that day is by far one of the lasting memories that I will remember well into my career.
What aspect of your co-op assignment do you feel will be the most beneficial after you graduate?
Upon graduation, I cannot wait to apply the skills and knowledge that I gained at Bridgestone. I had the unique experience of having a role in every part of the design process from problem definition, to concept development, to detailed design, to procurement, and installation. Regardless of the career path that I take, I have gained valuable hands on experience in the entire process of bringing industry solutions to life!
Describe how you feel you changed/grew as a person and student as a result of your co-op.
As a result of my co-op, I noticed a dramatic change for the better in my engagement in the classroom. My grades improved and my understanding of all course material suddenly seemed to click. My co-op assignment supplied me an increased passion in mechanical engineering that has driven me to never stop improving and following Bridgestone’s business model of continuous improvement.
What was the most challenging part of your co-op?
The most challenging part of my co-op assignment was moving to a town where I had never previously been and had no family or friends within a two-hour radius. However, this challenge did not last long as I was easily able to adjust to the new area with the help of my coworkers and connections that I made along the way. By the end of my fourth rotation, a part of me viewed Aiken as a place I could call home given the strong relationships and friendships that I was able to build.
Describe an instance where you applied something from your coursework to your co-op assignment, or vice versa.
Upon returning to Clemson from my first two rotations, I observed that there was a substantial increase in my performance in the classroom. The time management skills and work ethic that I developed over four rotations has not gone unused in my time back at Clemson. I have found that as a student, I am much more engaged as a learner because I am constantly able to relate the technical examples in design focused coursework to personal experiences at Bridgestone. When taking machine design after my first two rotations, I was able to obtain more skills that I eventually applied in my design work on my second two rotations.
