We are excited to spotlight Kendrick Davis, who recently completed an internship at ExxonMobil in Houston, Texas, as a Data Engineer!
Kendrick worked with a co-intern on a scrum team in the Upstream Data Office, where they consumed, transformed, and distributed data from ExxonMobil’s upstream assets, including offshore rigs and wells. Kendrick's project involved adding a feature to an existing platform that allowed Data Engineers to automatically create RESTful APIs for the Data Products they were developing.
Reflecting on his experience, Kendrick shared, "Persistence was most important. I didn’t have much success at career fairs, but I didn’t give up. I reached out to a dozen alumni, and finally found someone who passed my resume on." One of his biggest challenges was learning to be a self-starter, as his team didn't provide much guidance. "I had to learn how to ask the right questions to the right people," he explained. Despite this, Kendrick found enjoyment in meeting other interns from Texas universities and learning about their unique outlooks on life. He was surprised by the nature of his project, which differed from what he had initially expected, but he quickly adapted. "Learning to adapt is essential," he emphasized. Overall, Kendrick’s internship helped him better understand his own preferences and needs in a job: "Figuring out what works or doesn’t work for you is the most important part of an internship."
Kendrick mentioned that ExxonMobil likely won’t be having an internship program next summer, but he’s happy to help students in any way he can.
More About Kendrick
I’m from Roswell, NM. I love to travel and had the chance to visit Scotland and Egypt this summer. I also enjoy hiking in the mountains near Provo whenever I can.
Advice to students: "Sometimes, the best way to find the right path is to just choose one and go for it. When in doubt, choose Information Systems."
Kendrick is currently pursuing his MISM and is open to helping students!
We are proud of Kendrick's accomplishments and look forward to seeing where his journey leads!
10/4/24
