Meet the OPP Interns - Nick Witherite

Interview by Ali Sherretta, OPP Communications Intern

Nick Witherite is going to be a senior at Penn College and is majoring in engineering design. He is interning with OPP as a planning and estimating intern under Steve Newburg.

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

Nick: My friend shared it with me. It was her old internship, then she left, so I applied through her.

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

Nick: Right now, I'm doing a lot of asset work. One of the bigger ones I'm working on is going around locating all the assets and putting stickers for doors on all the buildings around campus. There's a big road project I'm going to be working on starting the last weekend in June with Hawbaker and HRI, Inc., so I'll be one of the contacts for that too.

Q: Can you describe your typical work day?

Nick: Mostly I work a lot in Maximo, running PMs, assets and more. Then, I'll go out on campus some days and look at things and go through different work orders. Sometimes I'll end up at Innovation Park. I'm mostly on the main campus area around Old Main, the library, a lot of the dormitories, and housing buildings.

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

Nick: Definitely a lot about the professional world, specifically just how to be more professional. I sit in meetings and learn how to act in an office setting.

Q: Can you talk about your experience during Special Olympics?

Nick: Yeah, it was actually a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it. It was a good way to meet all the OPP interns. It was also good to help out with an event like that.

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

Nick: Yes, because you're not sitting in an office all day. They give you the tours, you get to go out on campus, and they actually have you doing different things. They give you lots of opportunities.