Internship leads to continued employment at Dover Precision Components

Hands-on learning and industry mentorship help student toward future career

Pasadena, Texas – What began as a four-month internship turned into an ongoing opportunity for Luis Salinas, a San Jacinto College alumnus whose hands-on experience at Dover Precision Components is now shaping both his education and his future career in engineering technology.

Salinas joined Dover Precision Components’ New Product Development team in 2024, working in the company’s Research and Development lab on projects tied to natural gas compressor technology. Rather than serving as an observer, he quickly became an active contributor – supporting data organization and analysis, operating specialized R&D equipment, and assisting with mechanical repairs and daily lab operations.

“Luis has been a great hand to our R&D lab technicians and engineers,” said Nick Sherick, Innovation Lab manager at Dover Precision Components. “He’s punctual, hardworking, and reliable – exactly what you hope for in an intern.”

Sherick noted that Salinas played an integral role in one of the lab’s highest-priority projects, operating equipment and performing consistent testing essential to keeping the work on track. Over time, he saw Salinas’ mechanical understanding grow significantly as he gained confidence working with complex systems and tools.

“Luis has played an integral role in our highest-priority project by operating the equipment and performing the consistent tests necessary to move it toward completion,” said Sherick.

That growth—and dependability—prompted Dover Precision Components to extend Salinas’ employment beyond the original internship timeline.

“We hope to keep Luis throughout his entire internship availability,” said Sherick. “If most San Jacinto College interns are as dedicated as he is, I would absolutely recommend them to other businesses.”

For Salinas, the experience reinforced what he learned in the classroom at San Jacinto College, particularly in hands-on courses focused on manufacturing materials and instrumentation.

 “Those skills transfer directly to the manufacturing and oil and gas industries,” said Salinas.

Throughout his time at Dover Precision Components, Salinas strengthened technical skills such as data analysis, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), and tool usage, while also developing soft skills including time management, teamwork, and interpersonal communication.

Being offered continued employment came as an unexpected but welcome opportunity.

“It felt relieving to be able to keep my position when I was only expecting four months,” Salinas said. “This new opportunity gave me the stability to keep pursuing my education after graduating from San Jac.”

Salinas is continuing his academic journey at University of Houston-Downtown, where he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology in structural analysis and design and is set to graduate in fall 2027.

The internship also helped shape his long-term goals by exposing him to a wide range of tasks – some familiar, others challenging – that ultimately made him a more well-rounded student.

“This internship exposed me to tasks I was good at and tasks I wasn’t very good at,” said Salinas. “That experience, along with the insight I gained from my colleagues, has helped guide what I want to implement once I’m a full-time engineer.”

He credits San Jacinto College with helping him build a competitive résumé through hands-on projects and faculty connections, and he encourages other students to pursue internships even if they feel unqualified.

Salinas credits much of his success to the San Jacinto College faculty and staff who supported him along the way. He points to Dr. Yaohui Lu, his engineering technology professor and faculty mentor, who provided guidance throughout two years in the program and helped make the internship possible by establishing a partnership between the program and Dover Precision Components’ former vice president of engineering.

Salinas also highlighted the support of Tabitha Godinez, who helped strengthen his résumé and served as a key liaison between San Jacinto College and Dover Precision Components during the hiring process, and Sascha Guenzel, who he described as a secondary instructor in the program and who helped him build practical manufacturing and technical skills through hands-on instruction.

Together, Salinas said, their encouragement, industry connections, and focus on real-world skill development played a critical role in preparing him for both the internship and his continued employment.

“Even if you think you’re unqualified, apply,” said Salinas. “At San Jac, engineering technology students have a lot of opportunities to gain ‘golden nuggets’ on their résumés. Employers will teach on the job if they see that you’re hungry to learn.”

By working with San Jacinto College as an industry partner, businesses can help shape the future workforce while benefiting from skilled interns and graduates prepared to contribute from day one. 

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About San Jacinto College

Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the people of East Harris County, Texas, since 1961. The College is ranked second in the nation among more than 1,100 community colleges, as designated by the Aspen Institute and was named an Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution that spans five campuses, plus an online college, San Jacinto College serves approximately 45,000 credit and non-credit students annually. It offers more than 200 degrees and certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. The College is fiscally sound, holding bond ratings of AA+ by Standard & Poor’s and Aa2 by Moody’s. San Jacinto College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.