Alan Rob

Alan Rob, manufacturing and engineering technology '22, spent a year growing his passion while continuing his studies in a co-op with Nissan North America Decherd powertrain plant. 

In the fall of 2020, the opportunity to apply for the new and current model internship fell into his lap thanks to his brother Adam, a tooling engineer at Infiniti and Tech alum. The senior manager of the Decherd plant told his brother about the opportunity and asked for Rob's resume. 

"I chose to do the Nissan co-op because I felt like I was going to have a better learning experience in industry rather than learning online during the COVID pandemic," Rob said.

During his co-op, Rob was able to work firsthand in the industry doing tasks in machining and assembly. He oversaw updating all the process sheets to match drawings, as well as working on 3D printed tools and CNC programming changes.

"I enjoyed every second that I was on assignment, and I hope to have the opportunity to go back," Rob said. "I have gained so many relationships throughout the last year that have helped me become the engineer that I am today."

Rob praises the Center for Career Development at Tech for providing an easy process for completing the eligibility requirements for his co-op. The center also made it a simple transition from co-op back to classes at Tech for him. 

"It gave me a peace of mind coming back to Tech knowing that now I have a little experience under my belt, I know what is going to be expected of me and this is how my major implements into the industry," Rob said. 

Rob appreciated the hands-on experience he got working with the Nissan powertrain plant and would recommend the co-op experience to every student on campus. Experiences like this one are among the many reasons Rob chose to attend Tech and major in manufacturing and engineering technology. 

"At Nissan, you take pride in what you do, they taught me to be proud of what I am doing every day," he said.