Spec Interns Promoted to Full-Time

Spec Engineering is proud to announce that two interns, Chris Schmidt and Cooper Swearingen, graduated in May 2021 from their respective schools and will start their full-time careers at Spec. Chris will continue with the engineering department as a design engineer, and Cooper will be the accounting associate.

Chris initially started at Spec in November 2016 as a CAD drafter while finishing up his degree at Northern Illinois University. In May 2021, Chris graduated with his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in sustainability. For his senior design project, Chris worked with his team to develop a prototype of an automated belt cleaner for the CandyWorx REVOLV Belt Coater.

“Working at Spec gave me the drive I needed to work hard so I could transition into the role I wanted after graduation,” says Chris Schmidt, design engineer at Spec Engineering. “I was able to apply what I learned at NIU towards real world applications at work. I also had a great support system from my coworkers to help me stay positive and motivated.”

Chris looks forward to growing with the Spec team and continue working on custom build designs, making each project unique and challenging. Chris recently got married in March 2021, and him and his wife Julie are excited to welcome their first child in a few months.

Cooper started at Spec in September 2019 as a financial intern while going to school at Aurora University. In May 2021, Cooper earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance and Accounting. He was the president of the Student Accounting Society while at AU and played collegiate golf.

“Half of my internship was spent understanding and learning how a business operates in general. This was a nice starting point for me because being at Spec was my first true office experience,” says Cooper Swearingen. “The second half of my internship was spent applying the teachings from the classroom, whether it was accounting or data analytics. The Spec team always tried to give me as much exposure as they could for me to develop and apply what I was learning in the classroom.”

Cooper is excited to really dive into projects now that he is working full-time as the accounting associate. He is also continuing his education at Aurora University, pursuing his Master’s in Business Administration in the evenings. He describes himself as a ‘gearhead’ and is currently working on his old Harley and restoring a ski boat from the 80’s.

Interested in joining the Spec team? View our career opportunities here.