Aaron Cogwell, a junior industrial and systems engineering student, spent his summer as an in-market operations intern at the Frito-Lay distribution center (a subsidiary of PepsiCo) in Carrollton, TX. While the company gained new tools to increase the efficiency of their supply chain, he gained a new perspective and an enhanced set of job skills. The internship included a mixture of shadowing, training, project work and presentations.
The internship began with him visiting the Frito-Lay distribution center in Oklahoma City where he observed the unique ways the engineers tackled their problems. “It ended up being extremely beneficial as I brought some of their best practices back to my home site,” said Cogwell. He gained functional knowledge of how the Frito-Lay supply chain works, then applied his education to a project on improving the center in Carrollton.
During his time there, he made a positive financial impact on the company. “My statistical analysis skills were definitely an asset when presenting to the leadership team, but it was my Excel Visual Basic for Applications abilities that really impressed everyone,” said Cogwell. “By utilizing what I learned in Industrial and Systems Engineering 230, I was able to create a fully functioning Excel tool that created a map of the fastest moving products in the distribution center.”
The internship taught him the importance of having a motivating company culture and increased his communication skills. “This internship was a positive influence on shaping my goals,” said Cogwell. “I learned the importance of a good work culture and why a healthy environment that pushes you to constantly improve is important when making your first post-graduation choices. Work will always be work, but if you truly enjoy the people you work with, then you will be excited to return day after day.”
He credits his successful hire to the help of Mr. José Vázquez, the director of the industrial and systems engineering student resource center. “Mr. Vázquez went above and beyond in assisting me,” said Cogwell. “Not only did he help clean up my resume, but he introduced me to several PepsiCo contacts and allowed me to sit in on their presentations.” He also found support at Frito-Lay. His manager and mentor Destinee Stuck was a role model for him, both during and after the internship.
Success in life is about networking, and a network is the professional equivalent of a godparent — someone who can help in a big or small way and is always ready to pitch in.
According to Vázquez, “There is a saying in Spanish I quote to my students: ‘El que tiene padrino no se ahoga.’ Rough translation: Those who have a godparent will not drown. Success in life is about networking, and a network is the professional equivalent of a godparent — someone who can help in a big or small way and is always ready to pitch in. I have a passion for connecting people and providing opportunity. And what better tool than the Aggie Network? It works.”
“I learned a lot during my internship, but the skill that stuck with me the most was the ability to work outside of my comfort zone,” said Cogwell. “I would definitely recommend this internship to all Aggies, regardless of their major.”