Ciarnan O'Farrell

Meet the OPP Interns - Ciarnan O'Farrell

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Interview by Ali Sherretta, OPP Communications Intern

Ciarnan O'Farrell is going to be a senior at Penn State this fall and is majoring in energy engineering. He is currently interning with OPP as a steam services intern under David Parmelee.

Q: What made you choose to come to Penn State?

Ciarnan: The engineering program itself and the massive football stadium that I knew had big games.

Q: How did you hear about the position you applied for?

Ciarnan: I heard about the position I applied for through a professor during the fall semester of 2017.

Q: Describe the main project(s) you will be working on for OPP.

Ciarnan: I am auditing the gas valve locations. I am making sure they are there, making sure the measurements associated with those gas valves and the gas system in general are correct, making sure the meters are there, read the correct information, and essentially make sure everything is in order to stand up to regulations.

Q: Can you describe your typical work day?

Ciarnan: My typical work day starts at 6 a.m. We have a morning meeting, then the crew I work with goes out and does corrective maintenance. Then I go out and do things like I said previously. I get the measurements, locations, numbers, and things like that. I come back and put them all into a data sheet.

Q: What has your internship prepared you for thus far?

Ciarnan: My internship has prepared me for understanding what's necessity versus what's not. I have one main project I'm doing, which is the gas valves, but interwoven in that is a cathodic protections survey I was a part of and I audited, as well. I made sure everything was in order and if anything was missed, I have to go check on it and report back. I think it's prepared me for understanding necessity and knowing how to manage my time between projects.

Q: Talk about your experience with Special Olympics. What was your favorite part?

Ciarnan: My favorite part was probably driving the carts. I honestly liked the fast-paced nature of the task. Different events had different problems with it. Running water back and forth was actually, arguably, quite fun.

Q: After reflecting on your internship, would you recommend this experience to others?

Ciarnan: Yes, I would. I would say that while it may seem overbearing at first, it's definitely something worthwhile. You get to understand the inner workings of an actual job while still being a student.