What is Link?Every year there is a three week period where the Junior grade finds a job to intern for. This is the perfect opportunity for us to find out what we prefer in terms of a long term career; painting a more clear picture for finding a college major. There is a wide variety of internships each year that the student body has found, and every year we continue to expand our options. And with the strong reputation Animas has built, we continue to strengthen this program for future students.
My Link InternshipI interned with my former engineering teacher at San Juan Vans in Bayfield CO. San Juan vans is a company that renovates the Benz Sprinter Mercedes Van into a sustainable and energy efficient camper. What separates this company from other camper companies is the energy efficiency they've integrated into all of their appliances. They have a DC inverter which distributes power to everything within the van. The lights, water pump, fridge, and AC unit all run off of DC power and can run for up to 2 days. And all of the vans appliances can be run off grid and on the road, unlike most top of the line campers today.
My Link ProjectI wouldn't say I had a central focus during this link given how often I worked on every component of the van. But there was one project I worked on the most during link, and that was the wooden interior of the van. All of the pieces for the roof panel, wall panels, cabinets, and counter tops were cut out on a CNC machine. And I was tasked with spraying all of them down with a finished coat of epoxy. It's a tedious task and takes a lot of concentration to get a full cost on. But I managed to nail down the technique for it and was able to present beautiful work in the end.
https://www.sanjuanvans.com/
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Reflection
The whole reason I was interested in this link was to further improve my skills in carpentry and cars. Because I grew up in a family of carpenters and car mechanics, but I never grabbed onto it like they did. So through the course of those three weeks I wanted to learn some foundational skill sets. Going into link, I had very surface level knowledge. But even though I’m not a carpenter, I’m an artist. So I believe I have the patients and steady hands of a carpenter or engineer. I knew this because on my second day there, I was tasked with spraying the bamboo cabinets with epoxy. And I was told by Kurt that it takes a lot of attention and practice to get an even coat all around it. I nailed every single piece of furniture and was heavily commended for my handy work. Tayler, who is the cofounder there, even said that I sprayed them down better than he could. Overall, a pretty decent start to my link.
The most important skill I developed over link would be knowing that trying to make anything “perfect” is an impossibility. You can make beautiful work, put in craftsmanship and precision, but it will never be perfect. On Wednesday of the second week, we had a couple come in to get their cabinets repainted because they were chipping; that was all. But they then proceeded to gripe about four more minor problems they had with their van that we ended up spending half the day working on. We broke for lunch, and then they texted Tayler that the seat cushion touched the van door when you sat on it. And that they were “concerned” that the seat would wear and tear over time. Tayler ended up telling them that this was outside of their warranty and that it wouldn’t be a problem in the future anyway. And after a 20 minute text debate they finally agreed.
So even though in your mind, what you’ve crafted is perfect. There will always be something about it for someone else to not like. Expect imperfection and you will not be disappointed with the results.
The second link started, they put me to work. They gave me tasks to do, explained them to me, and told me to ask questions if I needed to. So I was working like a mule all three weeks. And during the past few weeks, I really only had 3 major mess ups. The first was that I forgot to use self tapping screws to drill into metal and used regular screws. The head broke off and I had to relocate the mounter I was installing. The second was that I accidentally stripped the threading's of a rivet nut. I was drilling through a wooden panel to make a hole through it to expose the rivet nut, but I drilled into the nut and tore through all of the threading's it had. We had to see off the lip of the rivet nut and install a new one. The third was probably the one that made me the most concern, which was on the last day when I lost the bolts to a DC inverter face. The bolts that mount the face on their inverters are really hard to replace, so when I took them out, I put them in a bag. But I lost the bag the next day. They were replaceable but they were hard to find at hardware stores.
Overall, the biggest skillset I grew was knowing when to ask questions. And never wing anything; especially when you’re working on $200k vans. Work slow to work fast, because paying extra attention and spending extra time on something will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
I got to know Kurt and the other guys who work at San Juan Vans very well. They are willing to teach if you are willing to listen. They have very strict deadlines to meet, and they would expect a student to contribute time to work if they will contribute time to teach. They taught me a lot of skill sets while I was working, so I applied them and showed that I was listening through my finished work. And I have no doubts in my mind that they will accept future interns.
I was the first intern they’ve had, and they spoke highly of my work ethic at the end of those three weeks. So much so that they didn’t hesitate to offer me a summer job with them which I will take them up on.
To my mentor(s), I can almost guarantee you that most of the student body at Animas is just as hard working and attentive as I was. We were all eager to find a job when the link was being planned, and everyone had a great time where they worked. All the while having their efforts praised and being offered a part time job like me. If an intern from Animas offers to work for you in the near future, you will not regret it.
I enjoyed this internship deeply. Better than any job I’ve ever worked. I still have a lot to learn about carpentry and engineering, but I by no means would mind learning more in the future. Being an artist, I knew I had patients, but I never knew that same patients could be applied to this field of work. Whether it was running wires, spraying epoxy, installing drywall, I was always able to stay attentive and work for hours on end without losing concentration.
All I know is that I want to work towards a major where I always have something to work on and/or solve. Whether that's geology, writing, architecture, my dream job is having a constant flow of work to be done and new skills to be learned. And with the skills sets I’ve built over link, I feel prepared for just that.
The most important skill I developed over link would be knowing that trying to make anything “perfect” is an impossibility. You can make beautiful work, put in craftsmanship and precision, but it will never be perfect. On Wednesday of the second week, we had a couple come in to get their cabinets repainted because they were chipping; that was all. But they then proceeded to gripe about four more minor problems they had with their van that we ended up spending half the day working on. We broke for lunch, and then they texted Tayler that the seat cushion touched the van door when you sat on it. And that they were “concerned” that the seat would wear and tear over time. Tayler ended up telling them that this was outside of their warranty and that it wouldn’t be a problem in the future anyway. And after a 20 minute text debate they finally agreed.
So even though in your mind, what you’ve crafted is perfect. There will always be something about it for someone else to not like. Expect imperfection and you will not be disappointed with the results.
The second link started, they put me to work. They gave me tasks to do, explained them to me, and told me to ask questions if I needed to. So I was working like a mule all three weeks. And during the past few weeks, I really only had 3 major mess ups. The first was that I forgot to use self tapping screws to drill into metal and used regular screws. The head broke off and I had to relocate the mounter I was installing. The second was that I accidentally stripped the threading's of a rivet nut. I was drilling through a wooden panel to make a hole through it to expose the rivet nut, but I drilled into the nut and tore through all of the threading's it had. We had to see off the lip of the rivet nut and install a new one. The third was probably the one that made me the most concern, which was on the last day when I lost the bolts to a DC inverter face. The bolts that mount the face on their inverters are really hard to replace, so when I took them out, I put them in a bag. But I lost the bag the next day. They were replaceable but they were hard to find at hardware stores.
Overall, the biggest skillset I grew was knowing when to ask questions. And never wing anything; especially when you’re working on $200k vans. Work slow to work fast, because paying extra attention and spending extra time on something will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
I got to know Kurt and the other guys who work at San Juan Vans very well. They are willing to teach if you are willing to listen. They have very strict deadlines to meet, and they would expect a student to contribute time to work if they will contribute time to teach. They taught me a lot of skill sets while I was working, so I applied them and showed that I was listening through my finished work. And I have no doubts in my mind that they will accept future interns.
I was the first intern they’ve had, and they spoke highly of my work ethic at the end of those three weeks. So much so that they didn’t hesitate to offer me a summer job with them which I will take them up on.
To my mentor(s), I can almost guarantee you that most of the student body at Animas is just as hard working and attentive as I was. We were all eager to find a job when the link was being planned, and everyone had a great time where they worked. All the while having their efforts praised and being offered a part time job like me. If an intern from Animas offers to work for you in the near future, you will not regret it.
I enjoyed this internship deeply. Better than any job I’ve ever worked. I still have a lot to learn about carpentry and engineering, but I by no means would mind learning more in the future. Being an artist, I knew I had patients, but I never knew that same patients could be applied to this field of work. Whether it was running wires, spraying epoxy, installing drywall, I was always able to stay attentive and work for hours on end without losing concentration.
All I know is that I want to work towards a major where I always have something to work on and/or solve. Whether that's geology, writing, architecture, my dream job is having a constant flow of work to be done and new skills to be learned. And with the skills sets I’ve built over link, I feel prepared for just that.
Resume
Asher Rehman
32 Elk Valley RD
Bayfield, CO 81122
(903)-714-9760
Email: [email protected]
SKILLS and HOBBIES-3D modeling and accessory design -Carpentry
-Welding and minor blacksmithing -Landscaping
-Digital artist -Animation
-Freelance experience
WORK EXPERIENCERock Lounge, Durango CO - (Internship) April - May, 2019
EDUCATIONAnimas Highschool, Durango CO - Eleventh Grade.Expect to Graduate: May 2023
I am currently attending Animas High school as an eleventh grade student. I plan to take advanced digital arts my senior year, and continue expanding my education in 3D design and modeling.
32 Elk Valley RD
Bayfield, CO 81122
(903)-714-9760
Email: [email protected]
SKILLS and HOBBIES-3D modeling and accessory design -Carpentry
-Welding and minor blacksmithing -Landscaping
-Digital artist -Animation
-Freelance experience
WORK EXPERIENCERock Lounge, Durango CO - (Internship) April - May, 2019
- Cleaned and repaired bouldering holds and pads, retaining the quality of the climbing walls
- Assisted for younger rock climbing students by spotting, showing different techniques, and over all ensured their safety
- Organized and cleaned rock climbing equipment, preparing it for future customers
- Mainly tasked with running wires and spraying epoxy on finished wooden furniture.
- Assisted the other four workers on sight when needing an extra hand
- Built two electrical cabinets and connected wires to them.
- Layed out tile and flooring for houses
- Installed and repaired drywall
- Transported building materials and construction equipment
- Assisted with construction workers
- Safely handled chainsaws, log splitters, axes, and other bladed hand tools
- Transported cut down wood
- Chopped and stacked wood by hand
EDUCATIONAnimas Highschool, Durango CO - Eleventh Grade.Expect to Graduate: May 2023
I am currently attending Animas High school as an eleventh grade student. I plan to take advanced digital arts my senior year, and continue expanding my education in 3D design and modeling.