Tyler Eckert, Student at Kutztown University
East Penn Manufacturing Intern
Where are you from originally? Harleysville, Pa.
What inspired you to pursue an internship in Greater Reading? After leaving the town that I had spent my entire life in to come to college, I quickly fell in love with the community of Kutztown and the surrounding areas. I am proud of the life I have made at college in just a few short years, and I am also proud of following in my mother’s footsteps as she is a Kutztown alumna. Because of these reasons, I wanted to further plant my roots here, which is why I was overjoyed to have the chance to work in Lyons, as it is just 10 minutes away from campus. I work in the procurement division at East Penn Manufacturing, and it has offered me both the chance to begin my professional career, and to confirm that I am majoring in a field that I enjoy.
How has your experience in Greater Reading shaped your academic or career goals? This position has opened my eyes to what is possible in the business field for me and my future career. I have always been interested in computers, and especially computer code. My managers realized this and chose to give me projects that would contain aspects of both procurement and computer coding. This was not only to utilize my passion for computer code but also to put my knowledge of such a niche subject to good use, especially since not many people in my department know how to create programs. In my time there, I have made multiple different programs that have saved the department days worth of time and effort.
What advice would you give other students considering internships in Greater Reading? The two biggest pieces of advice I have for other students are to start searching for internships early and to build relationships with their professors. I started going to job fairs and networking events as a second-semester freshman, which gave me good insight into how those events are set up. It provided valuable practice and shaped my ability to confidently talk to recruiters before I started seriously looking for an internship. When I did start looking for an internship in my sophomore year, I was met with the general sentiment that companies wait until your junior year to extend an opportunity to you. I could not tell you how many companies I contacted regarding internships, only to be met with the same response: I was too young for the position. The turning point in my internship quest was when Dr. Chao started helping me. When I came to him and expressed my frustration with not being able to get a head start on an internship, he put me in contact with East Penn. He then continued to advocate for me, even after I wasn’t chosen for the first position that I had interviewed for. Dr. Chao’s connections and persistence eventually helped me land the job I have now, as he was the reason I got another interview, and I could not be more grateful. We, as students, are only available to make connections and get to know this area for the few short years that we attend college, but professors are here day in and day out, possibly for decades. In my personal experience, this aspect makes professors the best resource that college offers.
If someone is visiting the Greater Reading area, what hidden gem would you recommend they check out? I would recommend checking out Snuzzles. It has a great atmosphere and fantastic food for its low prices. Sizeable, restaurant-quality, chicken sandwiches for under 10 dollars are quite hard to find nowadays, and Snuzzles has them and more!
