“How did they build that?”
This was the question Trevor Winterhack asked himself while looking at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2016. The shock and intrigue of seeing this massive structure, he said, sparked a passion for engineering that he carries to this day.
Jumping ahead a few years, the Pittsville High School senior bound for UW Madison is beginning his career in engineering as an intern at Pearl Engineering.
In addition to spending almost a year at Pearl, Trevor has spent time job shadowing in the medical field. Combining that with his interests in math and engineering, he says biomedical engineering is the area of study he is choosing to pursue in college.
“Biomedical engineering is such a bridge between the two fields,” he said. “I have interests in both engineering and medicine, so it really gives me an opportunity to explore both.”
Trevor started at Pearl in September of 2017 after making a connection with our lead structural engineer, Shane Burkhart. The internship program run through his school allows Trevor to come in for several hours a couple mornings during the week and get school credit while he learns from the Pearl Engineering team and help with projects.
All seniors at his school have the opportunity to participate in the internship program, but Trevor is the first to do his with Pearl. This has opened the opportunity for future students to join Pearl.
The primary project Trevor has worked on has been developing a welding spreadsheet with Shane. This spreadsheet is designed to help expedite necessary calculations by the engineering staff by inputting amounts of forces and stresses.
Trevor says he has been working closely with Shane on the project and he has been a great teacher during his time with Pearl.
“This opportunity with Pearl has been great because I have been able to get so much hands-on experience,” he said. “I am really grateful for the opportunity and the guidance the staff has given me. The staff has cultivated a really positive culture and Jeff (Pearl) has been great. It’s been a pleasure to work here and the staff are the kind of people you want to work with.”
As for his own career, working for Pearl Engineering has only solidified his interest in pursuing a career in engineering.
“This internship has definitely pointed me in a definitive direction. Engineering is where my passion is. This has given me the opportunity to focus and even expand my interests and knowledge in the field and can’t wait to get to school.”
Trevor will continue to work at Pearl Engineering through the school year and into the summer before heading off to UW Madison in the fall. Naturally, he is excited to graduate from high school and see what campus life has to offer.
Outside of engineering, Trevor’s other great passion is traveling. He has had many opportunities, either with his family or by himself, to explore the world including visits to theaforementionedd Dubai, China and Iceland.
He was also recently able to take a solo trip and explore Germany, Face and Spain. The opportunity to experience different cultures, see unique geography and explore historic cities Trevor said was one of the best experiences of his life.
On U.S. soil, Trevor enjoys hiking with his father in the Boundary Waters as well as hunting and fishing in the summer and fall and snowboarding and snowmobiling in the winter. Trevor also played basketball at Pittsville, is the president of his school’s National Honor’s Society and enjoys reading.
Interested in an engineering internship with Pearl Engineering? Call us to learn more!
