From First Day to Full-Time: Felipe Garza’s Journey at Kuraray America

At Kuraray America, Inc. (KAI), interns contribute to projects that make a lasting impact. Sometimes, they return as full-time employees to find the projects they worked on still being used, a clear measure of impact.

Our 6th From-First-Day-To-Full-Time feature introduces:
🪪 Felipe Garza
👥 KAI Intern Cohort 2025
🏫 Lamar University
📜 B.S., Mechanical Engineering
💼 Mechanical Engineer, PVOH, Bayport, TX

Felipe’s internship supported the site’s transition from paper-based preventive maintenance plans to a digital system. The project required him to learn a new platform, understand existing maintenance practices, and translate them into a standardized format that made the system easier to adopt and use consistently across the team

When Felipe returned as a full-time Mechanical Engineer, he saw that his work had become part of the site’s ongoing maintenance process. Seeing the lasting impact of his project reinforced that his contributions mattered and motivated him to continue making a difference as a full-time engineer.

He credits Brayden Fisher for giving him the independence to take ownership of his work while remaining available whenever guidance is needed.

Watch the video to hear how Felipe’s internship project, lasting impact and support from his team shaped his transition into a full-time Mechanical Engineer role.

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