Internships are essential to gaining real world experience before starting a career.

Junior Rebecca Wheeling has earned a 10-week internship at a company located in Houston, Texas.

Wheeling will be traveling to Houston at the end of May to work at Momentive Specialty Chemicals, Inc.

“The division that I will be working at deals specifically with epoxy phelonic, and coating resins,” said Wheeling. “These synthetic materials aid in the protection of things that are exposed to harsh conditions such as high temperatures.”

Wheeling says that the work that the company does is very cutting-edge and uses a lot of new branch science known as materials science.

“The products are really interesting because the goal is to create as thin of a film as possible that can still provide a massive amount of protection,” Wheeling said.

Wheeling was told of the internship opportunity by her professor, Ron Brown, Ph.D.

She followed the application requirements and was later contacted in February with an offer.

Wheeling leaves on May 28 and will intern through mid-August.

Although there are various work opportunities available, Wheeling is still unsure of exactly what work she will be doing for the company.

“I have been in touch with my boss several times; they asked me a lot of questions to figure out where to place me, but they seem to have a program all ready for me,” Wheeling said.

In conjunction with the internship, Wheeling is being supplied with monetary support to present any work from her time at the company at a conference in the future.

“My professors have been so helpful to me over the last three years,” Wheeling said. “I have gotten a lot of input and advice from them, especially from Dr. Jones, about my future, and I really couldn’t thank him enough for all his time.”

Wheeling was also asked to nominate a high-school educator that supported her in becoming a chemistry major. That nomination comes with a grant of $1,000 to improve the education in that specific classroom using technology. Wheeling nominated her high school calculus teacher.

To learn more about Wheeling’s internship opportunity contact her at rwheel91@lakers.mercyhurst.edu.