Every summer, Samsung Austin Semiconductor welcomes students from different schools, backgrounds and experiences with one shared goal: to learn, contribute and grow.
This year, 114 college interns from 21 different universities across the country joined 24 high school interns from Taylor Independent School District (ISD).
Although their majors, departments and career goals vary, discussions with interns from both programs revealed a common theme: Samsung offers much more than technical experience. Through engagement with meaningful projects, supportive mentors and a collaborative culture, interns leave with a greater confidence, stronger professional skills and a clearer vision for their future.
For Taylor ISD students, the opportunity is especially unique. Few high school students have the chance to spend their summer learning from and working for a tier one company. Through Samsung Austin Semiconductor’s partnership with Taylor ISD, students work alongside engineers, technical experts and business professionals, while also gaining hands-on experience years before their peers begin college.
Throughout this summer, each of the college interns from both cohorts have been entrusted with meaningful projects that support real business needs, from machine learning and process optimization to software development, manufacturing, infrastructure, environmental health and safety and human resources initiatives.
When asked what distinguishes this year’s cohorts, Rebecca Pollock, who coordinates onboarding for the college interns, states “one of the most standout aspects of this year's cohorts are their ability to adapt to new challenges quickly. It's a testament to their dedication and hard work.” Rebecca also adds how “college interns are more engaged than ever before. They're not just completing tasks; they're seeking out opportunities to learn and contribute to the company's success.”
While classrooms provide the foundation, Samsung Austin Semiconductor gives interns the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in meaningful hands-on ways.
Electrical Engineering student from Texas A&M University, Xinyan Su, helped develop a machine to classify defects in wafer models to help engineers and improve manufacturing efficiency.
Sofia Anchia, a Computer Science and Business student from Colorado School of Mines, has a similar project where she is helping greatly reduce the time it takes to receive and input data for a comprehensive investigation. When asked about the impact of this project Anchia explains how with guidance from her supervisor and regular checkpoints with her team, she was able to come up with a final application that allows for a much smoother more streamlined root-cause analysis process.
Across every department, interns emphasized that they weren’t just completing busy work, but that they were contributing to projects that actually mattered and were giving them once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Andrew Matthew, an Electrical and Computer Engineering student from The University of Texas at Austin, says his mentors and supervisors helped him understand machines and systems by being willing to help and patiently walking him through things processes and procedures.
Khang Tran, an intern for the Metals department, appreciated that coworkers connect beyond work. “Everyone has their own interest and qualities outside of work, that helps to create a more connected environment between all the separate areas and departments,” Tran says.
Despite a shorter six-week term, during their time with Samsung Austin Semiconductor, Taylor interns had the chance to participate in learning opportunities, including a Q&A session with Jon Taylor, executive vice president and head of the Infra Technology Center of Excellence, a panel discussion with college interns/fab interns and College Orientation Recruitment Program (CORP) hires, a visit to the Texas State Capitol and volunteer events with Shepherd’s Heart and a Taylor community park clean up.
Jennifer Sabrsula with the Communications team coordinates the Taylor ISD intern program. A former educator, Sabrsula explains why the opportunity is special. “One of the most rewarding aspects has been watching our students' aspirations grow. Over time their goals have expanded to more bold, ambitious and long-term visions of what they can achieve,” says Sabrsula.
Since the program’s inception in 2022, 22 of the 117 interns who completed the program returned for their second internship, resulting in an 18.8% return rate.
“We have also had interns return as college interns and gain fulltime employment after participating in this program,” adds Sabrsula.
One intern’s story perfectly illustrates the impact of Samsung Austin Semiconductor’s partnership with Taylor ISD through the high school internship program.
Jett Vanbrocklin joined the Taylor ISD internship program in the summer of 2023 during his junior year and returned again as a senior, both times working in the Innovation department. Now an Electrical and Computer Engineering student at The University of Texas at Austin, Vanbrocklin returned to his old stomping grounds to continue his career pathway exploration as a college intern in the very same department.
Vanbrocklin’s previous experience as a high school intern gave him a strong foundation before entering the company’s highly competitive college internship program. Returning to familiar mentors and teammates allowed him to continue building on relationships formed years earlier while taking on more advanced responsibilities.
“Coming back to Samsung Austin Semiconductor as a college intern felt strange at first but was very nostalgic,” says Vanbrocklin, who wants to go into robotics. “Being a college intern and supporting the robotics integration at Samsung Austin Semiconductor gave me a new perspective on robotics as a service.”
When asked what advice he would give to high school interns hoping to follow the path of coming back as a college intern, he says, “it is important that you shamelessly use any connections you made while at Samsung Austin Semiconductor.”
Vanbrocklin says what makes Samsung Austin Semiconductor special is the “kind and quality interactions, smiles and a good, happy culture.”
His journey perfectly demonstrates how one opportunity during high school can grow into something much bigger.
For many students, this summer has been their first experience inside a professional workplace.
Riley Michna, an intern with Environmental, Health and Safety, says she learned how small things add up, which has helped continue to drive her passion for protecting the environment.
Eamon Neas, a second-year intern working in the Facilities Operations Maintenance Water department, says he appreciated seeing projects through from the beginning to the end and getting to watch how different teams and departments work together.
One of the Metals interns, Mayrah Gonzalez, shared that the experience has helped her strengthen her communication skills while teaching her the importance of maintaining a positive attitude.
Brenden Benavente, an intern supporting the Facilities Operations Maintenance Water team, states he is learning real world job skills and how to network and make connections with his peers.
For these high school students, the internship isn’t just about learning a job, it’s about discovering what a professional workplace is and how to navigate it and make connections before they begin college.
While every intern’s experience has been unique, many have shared a similar outcome of having a clearer understanding of their future.
This article was written by Samsung Austin Semiconductor high school intern Lacey Thompson.
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