WSU senior Kyle Walter is interning as a student team lead at the Deloitte Smart Factory @ Wichita located on Wichita State's Innovation Campus. Kyle says the internship has provided him valuable skills in smart manufacturing technology development.

More than 5,000 Shockers each year take what they’ve learned in the classroom and transfer that knowledge into real-world environments. Applied learning — which is required for every Wichita State student — happens in offices, factories, laboratories, nonprofits, industries and companies across the globe. Students work side-by-side with seasoned professionals to ensure that they’re fully prepared to make meaningful contributions to their employers and their communities when they graduate.

Wichita, Kansas

Mechanical engineering

Senior

I am currently working at the Deloitte Smart Factory @ Wichita located on Wichita State’s Innovation Campus through the applied learning program. The Smart Factory is an ecosystem of solution providers, technology innovators, academic researchers and futurists convened by Deloitte to develop and present smart manufacturing solutions. I am the student team lead and I am responsible for researching, developing, integrating and troubleshooting Industry 4.0 technologies on the smart manufacturing line. In addition to technology development, I present Industry 4.0 solutions and technologies to guests at the Factory and help them to better understand the newest and most advanced technological developments in manufacturing and industry. I also assist with managing the other applied learning students working at the factory.

I started my internship in February 2021, and plan to continue it through graduation in May 2023.

I learned about this opportunity from the applied learning program at WSU, which reached out and promoted the position. I had previously heard about Deloitte from my aunt, who is a partner with their audit and assurance division.

This internship has provided me valuable experiences and skills in smart manufacturing technology development and integration, presenting and leadership. In addition to engineering skills and experiences, I have had the opportunity to gain experience in consulting and management, as well as computer coding and networking.

My classes at WSU have helped prepare me for this role by encouraging self-study and problem solving. It has also helped me develop problem solving skills and foundational knowledge for engineering.

I would recommend WSU's applied learning program because it helps students get access to valuable, real-world experiences in both local and national industries. The programs has been an amazing resource throughout my time at WSU.