Internships give students the opportunity to explore potential career paths, apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings, and build the skills employers are looking for after graduation.
The search for summer internships often begins months in advance. Earlier this month, UT Permian Basin's Career Services team hosted its Engineering Internship Fair as recruiting season got underway. Among the employers in attendance was ProPetro, a leading oilfield services company whose display featured a photo of its 2026 summer intern class. Among those interns were three Falcons: Bamidele Jenkins, Leslie Cabello, and Lupita Marquez.
Each student took a different path to earning an internship with ProPetro, but all three shared a common goal: gaining hands-on experience and preparing for their future careers. 
Bamidele Jenkins
As he going to be entering his final semester of graduate studies in Mechanical Engineering in the fall, Bamidele Jenkins was looking for an opportunity to apply the concepts from his master's thesis to a real-world challenge.
Throughout his time at UTPB, Bamidele worked closely with Career Services to strengthen his resume, improve his interviewing skills, develop his elevator pitch, and build confidence in his professional abilities.
Those preparations paid off when he connected with a ProPetro recruiter through LinkedIn and secured an interview for a summer internship.
During the internship, Bamidele was able to apply knowledge from his thesis research while also developing valuable professional skills.
"I was learning how to work well with my team members and people in other departments," Bamidele said. "I was able to talk to a variety of people to fully understand the problem they were facing and provide a solution."
In addition to gaining technical experience, he strengthened his communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
Leslie Cabello
For senior Petroleum Engineering major Leslie Cabello, internships are an important part of the college experience.
"It will help you get your foot in the door and figure out what you want to do in your career," Leslie said.
With that goal in mind, Leslie visited Career Services for help refining her resume and preparing for interviews.
"The career services team is great, and they are very encouraging," said Leslie. "They genuinely want to see you succeed in getting internships and full-time offers."
While searching for internship opportunities in the Permian Basin, Leslie learned more about ProPetro through her husband's previous internship experience with the company. After reaching out to a contact, she secured an interview for a Petroleum Engineering internship.
During the first half of the summer, Leslie worked in the field learning about well maintenance, rigging, and data collection. She also gained firsthand experience with field operations, materials, equipment, and project work. During the second half of the internship, she worked alongside engineers, learning about their daily responsibilities while contributing to a reporting project.
The experience helped Leslie better understand the industry, expand her technical knowledge, and build meaningful professional connections. Most importantly, it gave her a clearer picture of where she wants her career to go after graduation.
When Lupita Marquez decided to pursue a degree in Petroleum Engineering, she was already working full time and looking for the next step in her career within the oil and gas industry.
Since arriving at UTPB, Lupita has taken advantage of opportunities to build her professional network and career readiness. She is active in several engineering student organizations, regularly attends employer events and lunch-and-learns, and has worked with Career Services on resume development and interview preparation.
Those efforts helped her secure two internships during her college career, including her most recent opportunity with ProPetro.
The internship gave Lupita valuable exposure to both field operations and engineering office environments. Through the experience, she discovered that she enjoys reporting, planning, and coordinating future work while also gaining a deeper understanding of petroleum engineering concepts.
She was able to connect classroom lessons to real-world applications and gain exposure to processes she has not yet covered in her coursework.
"In class a lot of what we talk about it more of an example base, but when you are out in the field you are able to see the process from beginning to end," Leslie said. "You are able to see why something is happening, what it causes and the after affects. Now in class, I am able to think about what I learned in my internship, like fracking and what happens at a well pad, and it helps my class material make more sense."
In addition to expanding her technical knowledge, Lupita developed skills in teamwork, leadership, and time management while collaborating with fellow interns on projects throughout the summer.
Looking ahead, Lupita is already preparing for her next internship opportunity. After taking part in Resume Review Week through career services, she prepared herself for the Engineering Internship fair. She has already begun to interview for future opportunities, and plans on attending the All Majors Internship fair on September 30th to increase her chances of securing an internship.
Taking the Next Step
The experiences of Bamidele, Leslie, and Lupita demonstrate how internships can help students connect classroom learning with real-world experience while building the skills and professional networks needed for future success.
Students interested in finding internship opportunities of their own can take the next step at the All-Majors Internship Fair on September 30. Hosted by UTPB Career Services, the event will connect students with employers from a variety of industries seeking interns and future employees. Whether you're searching for your first internship or preparing for a full-time career after graduation, the fair offers an opportunity to make valuable connections and explore what's possible after UTPB.
