Came for the experience, stayed for the mission

Emmy Schniederjan, Octavio Almanza, and Isaac Kendrick are 2024 summer interns turned full-time Pantex employees.

It’s one thing to learn something and another to actually put it into practice. Internships help close the gap between knowledge and experience, which is especially important at Pantex where the work is specialized and unique to anywhere else.

“My internship experience helped me develop a keen eye for small details, and also exposed me to the collaboration process between cross-functional teams,” said Octavio Almanza, information system security officer. “I find myself using these skills for my current position on a daily basis.”

Pantex recently welcomed 35 students representing 18 different colleges across the nation to a 10-week summer internship experience at the site. The interns will spend time in concentrated training gaining real-world experience with their host organizations. Their experience will culminate in a final project they will present at the Intern Expo on Tuesday, July 22, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. in the John C. Drummond Center cafeteria.

Almanza graduated from Texas A&M University and interned at Pantex through the NNSA Minority Serving Institutions Internship Program in summer 2024. That October, he made the transition from summer intern with the Cybersecurity Formal Authorization & Risk Management team to an employee with the same group.

“I personally found my internship experience to be very rewarding,” he said. “I felt very welcomed by my team and was able to learn so much from my mentor and other cybersecurity professionals here.”

From the 2024 summer intern group, 18 of 38 interns converted into full-time hires. Emmy Schniederjan, environmental science associate, graduated from Texas Tech University and interned with the Environmental Projects group before being hired in August 2024.

“My internship was a fantastic learning opportunity,” she said. “I was able to get a really great idea of what working at Pantex would be like.”

Schniederjan said the internship experience itself offered great experiences like plant tours, social activities, and professional development, but she especially loved how her internship project made her feel like an integral part of the greater Pantex mission.

“During my internship, and now as an employee, I have the privilege to work with wonderful people to better the health of the surrounding environment and protect the organisms that rely on it,” she said. “I love getting the opportunity to do my part in contributing to my team’s efforts.”

The incoming 2025 group includes seven returning interns back for more hands-on learning about the work at Pantex, highlighting the excellence of the internship program, the mission, and mentors who take the task of teaching the inexperienced. Isaac Kendrick, West Texas A&M graduate and structural design engineer, interned at Pantex for two summers before becoming an employee in 2025.

“My first summer, I was put to work with all three disciplines in my group (civil, structural, architectural),” Kendrick said. “My second summer I wanted to shift my focus on just structural engineering. I really like my department and everything about my job.”

Kendrick appreciated the chance to discover what discipline in Project Engineering he would be most interested in and said the most important skill he learned was to not be afraid to reach out for help.

“When I was interning and I wasn’t sure I knew how to do something, I would tell my mentor at the time and he would sit down with me and give me a lesson,” he said. “Even now that I am full-time, I still ask for help when I need it.”

With all the skills these three Pantexans learned through their time as interns and now full-time employees, they offer some wise advice for the 2025 intern group:

“You're going to be surrounded by professionals in your field who want to see you grow and succeed throughout your time here,” Almanza said. “Use this opportunity to ask lots of questions.”

“Take advantage of all of the amazing tours and professional developments the program has to offer, and reach out to your fellow interns,” Schniederjan said.

“Take time to get to know other departments and managers,” Kendrick added. “Don’t be idle and waste time. If you have nothing to do ask your manager or coworkers if there is anything that you can help with.”