This past summer, the Michigan STEM Forward program was proud to place five interns with Rhombus Energy Solutions in Dearborn. Rhombus is a leader in making zero-emission, self-sustainable technologies for high-power vehicles and is therefore at the forefront of EV technology. STEM Forward matched internship candidates with roles such as industrial engineering intern and power electronics intern, and each intern made significant contributions to the company over the course of their placement.
One of these interns was Dearborn-native Jasmine Alhusaini who is studying global supply chain management and information systems management at Wayne State University. Jasmine filled the role of purchasing intern at Rhombus. To start, the learning curve was steep. “When I came in,” she said, “I didn’t know anything about the EV market.” With the support and encouragement of her supervisors and internship managers, Jasmine’s understanding of the technologies and her role in the company grew. Eventually, her responsibilities at Rhombus expanded to include, “most of the ordering for the San Diego-based research and development team.”
As the summer ended and the start of the semester drew near, it was clear that Jasmine’s role with Rhombus wasn’t finished. The substantial value that she added to the company and the universal praise she received from her coworkers and supervisor made the extension of a continued role within the company. Now, she is transitioning to the junior buyer position.
Jasmine’s success story is just one example of the sort of positive impact that the Michigan STEM Forward program is pleased to facilitate. She contributed real, measurable value to a Michigan-based company developing cutting-edge technology, keeping the state at the forefront of the industry. In addition, the skills and practical experience she gained as a member of the Rhombus team complement her educational experience as she re-entered the classroom this fall. Jasmine agrees, “Working here and being able to experience the day-to-day operations helped me apply what I learned in school.”
