Daniela Zeledon
A 2019 Ottumwa High School graduate spent her summer working and learning about the hay forage industry as part of John Deere’s Early Talent Program.
Daniela Zeledon was one of two area high school seniors selected to intern at John Deere Ottumwa Works this summer. Prior to graduation, Zeledon had no idea what the Ottumwa plant manufactured. “My first few weeks, I dived right in and learned,” she said.
There was no time for summer vacation. Her internship started immediately after graduation, with work hours from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. She had to purchase steel-toed shoes and make sure her attire was business appropriate. She could wear jeans on Fridays but all shirts had to have sleeves. The experience “made me grow up and have a feel for the real world.”
John Deere offers a variety of opportunities for their interns. Throughout the summer, she was given different projects to coordinate including production, painting, and safety. She also attended a company-sponsored intern conference in Moline, with between 500-600 attendees system-wide. She visited a farm to get the customer perspective, drove a tractor and mower conditioner, and spent “a day in the life” of a production employee. There were also social opportunities to build relationships between interns, like weekly volleyball games. She is proud of the contribution she made to the company in her short time there.
The biggest advantage for the recent OHS grad is knowing that her chosen career path is the right one. “The experience made me realize engineering really does interest me,” Zeledon said. “It took a lot off my shoulders. Seeing what my mentor did everyday was interesting, something I would want to do.” She hopes to have the opportunity to come back and intern next summer.
She begins classes at Iowa State University this week, starting with 16 credit hours earned in high school. With a goal to graduate in five years with her bachelors and masters, she also plans to get involved in two engineering clubs, WISE and LEAD. It will provide an opportunity to meet other students with similar goals.
Where does she see herself in five years? She plans to start her career in Iowa. “I hope to be working as an industrial or mechanical engineer, staying somewhere close to my parents,” she said. She also wishes she had job shadowed more and taken advantage of OHS courses such as Project Lead The Way. She encourages students to research career options.
“I want to go back to OHS and promote opportunities to other students,” she said.
