Kyle McAtee ’19 Test Gauge and Backflow Supply Inc. – My internship this summer is taking place in Indianapolis, IN at a company called Test Gauge and Backflow Supply Inc. This internship is about marketing, sales, and project management. The company that hired me deals mostly with supplying plumbing companies, fire protection companies, and cities with back-flow systems, which deal directly with water safety. Basically it separates the good water from the bad water and we sell them for the manufactures. Along with that, Test Gauge provides customers with technical support in the field when they’re installing and receiving the parts needed to do their jobs. My boss, James Probst, really took me under his wings and guided me, trained me, and taught me many critical things this summer. He started this company along with another entrepreneur in 2012. This job really pushed my understanding of personal relationships with customers and employees. Something my boss emphasized to me was, in order to be successful you have to treat people as if they’re human beings, people matter.
On the techni
cal side of things, my understanding of Microsoft office was pushed. Not just word, but excel was the main thing I have worked with this summer. Deciphering data, and organizing spreadsheets was half of my job. In order for Test Gauge to run smoothly, we needed to be more organized and have all customer information more accessible. Along with Microsoft office, I learned our company’s personal portal that monitors inventory, sales, and customers online. This was something I’ll need to get used to if I want to continue in management.
One of the more interesting days in this eight-week internship happened when we met with a committee from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). This board included the commissioner of IDEM, Bruno Pigott. This was exciting for me because I sat in on a, at times heated, debate about Indiana Legislature and watched my boss not back down from something that could affect the state’s clean water supply. By far, the biggest thing I learned from this internship was how to do REAL work, but not only working hard but also being passionate about things. Maybe I won’t be working in the field of back-flow when I’m older, but the experience I had this summer will prepare me for any job I have after Wabash.
This opportunity was something that would have never been possible without Wabash Career Services, the Lilly endowment, and the people supporting me along the way. Thank you.
