2020  National  Student Intern of the Year

2020  National  Student Intern of the Year

Kalliope Zembillas turned a trip to the semi-annual STEM Expo during her sophomore year into not only one but three successful internships – and the 2020 National Internship Student Achievement Award.

Zembillas received the award from the Cooperative Education and Internship Association for her internship with Simon Roofing in Boardman. The award recognizes distinguished excellence for one student nationwide who excelled in work-integrated learning through an internship program.

A senior Chemical Engineering major and Mathematics minor, Zembillas met a representative from Simon Roofing during the Expo and was invited for a tour of the facility. The STEM Expo invites employers from private, non-profit and government sectors to recruit for internship and co-op, and full-time/entry-level STEM positions.

“I really enjoyed the environment and knew it would be an excellent career experience,” said Zembillas. “After going through the application process, I was offered an internship for the spring of 2019. I was so anxious to begin, I actually started it two months early.” 

She began interning in the research and development lab at Simon Roofing, focusing on the application and testing of architectural coatings. She worked on formulating different coatings to find a more effective replacement that fit the company’s needs, but also one that was more cost-effective.

“Kalliope not only became comfortable as an intern in the R&D lab, she also became a leader and someone whom I relied upon to get important tasks done,” said Jeffrey Meyers, Zembillas’ intern supervisor and laboratory manager at Simon Roofing. “Kalliope took on her day-to-day tasks in earnest and also looked for ways to improve the department.”

“I was lucky enough that my supervisors gave me freedom in my projects,” said Zembillas. “It was because of this that I figured out what I wanted my future career path to look like.”

“Her positive attitude and work ethic were contagious and spread to everyone in the lab,” Meyers said. “She would always accept new responsibilities with a smile and would give them her best effort. More importantly, she had a curious nature and would never be shy about questioning the status quo or suggesting changes.”

This past summer, Zembillas went to Greece, where she lived for nine years while she was younger, and took an internship with ARGO S.A., a Greek oil and petroleum company on the island of Kalymnos.

“Because of my internship at Simon Roofing, I felt much more comfortable than I would have been without it,” said Zembillas. “Even though I was in another country, I still had a feeling of knowing what a professional engineering environment is like.”

Zembillas was set to return to the R & D lab at Simon Roofing for the fall semester. “She knew the job well and was outstanding at it,” explained Meyers. “When she returned, however, she asked if she could work in our manufacturing facility to give her a new experience. To me that speaks volumes about her. She’s always looking to learn more and make herself better. She won’t settle for the norm and is always trying to improve.”

Up next for Zembillas, after graduating in May, is grad school. “Working at Simon Roofing was an inspiring challenge and I am extremely grateful to have experienced it,” said Zembillas. “I have grown professionally and educationally, and I cannot wait to see what my professional future as a chemical engineer holds.”