From the Classroom to Real World, AMERICAN Style

What do student worker experiences look like at AMERICAN? Anything but ordinary.

From the melt shop to sales strategy, from talent recruiting to electrical maintenance, four college students share their experiences in the AMERICAN Student Worker Program. The program is a way for students to explore career interests and pathways, build practical skills and apply classroom knowledge to the real world, while supporting company operations.

Ronnie Freeman - Melting

Working in the Melting Department helped Ronnie Freeman connect his mechanical engineering studies at Mississippi State University with the day-to-day operations that support ductile iron pipe production. Freeman learned about the student worker program through campus career fairs, where AMERICAN's family-oriented culture stood out.

His work included updating storm shelter routes, designing machine parts and conducting graphite trials to measure carbon levels at the induction furnaces. The graphite trials allowed him to visit different areas of the plant and better understand how each process works.

"Being here has helped me better understand manufacturing processes," Freeman said. "I've been able to apply what I've learned in school, including thermodynamics and measuring techniques, in a real manufacturing environment."

Alex Ceritano - ADIP Sales

With a strong interest in static structures such as bridges and pipeline systems, Alex Ceritano found added meaning in his time with AMERICAN Ductile Iron Pipe Sales. A civil engineering student at Michigan State University, Ceritano saw how technical knowledge supports customer relationships in the waterworks industry.

Working alongside marketing specialists and sales engineers, Ceritano wrote technical proposals, implemented marketing and sales plans, and conducted industry research. He also learned how consulting with customers helps sales professionals understand their needs, recommend solutions and align sales strategies with project goals.

Ceritano said, "This experience showed me the importance of understanding customer needs, building strong relationships, paying attention to detail and understanding the testing that goes into AMERICAN products before they reach customers."

Anna Grace Cain - Talent Acquisition & Development

Anna Grace Cain, a human resource management student at the University of Alabama, gained a firsthand look at recruiting, hiring and employee support through her time with AMERICAN's Talent Acquisition & Development Department. As a student worker, she gained practical human resources experience while learning how the department connects people with opportunities across the company.

Cain assisted with interviews, prepared reports and helped with the hiring process, gaining valuable insight into recruiting and staffing at a large manufacturer. She also organized job bid files, ensured records were complete and helped move them into a document library.

"I liked seeing how much people enjoy working here," Cain said. "Employees are passionate about their careers with AMERICAN. The experience taught me how important it is to be in an environment where people enjoy what they do."

Isaac Carter - Plant Maintenance Electrical

Through the FAME program, Isaac Carter is building mechanical and electrical maintenance skills while working toward an associate degree in mechatronics at Wallace State Community College. FAME (Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education), a partnership between AMERICAN and Wallace State, combines classroom instruction with applied work at AMERICAN.

Now halfway through the program, Carter has contributed to mechanical and electrical maintenance projects including running conduit, wiring transformers, troubleshooting machinery components and working with programmable logic controllers.

"Working at AMERICAN has taught me how to troubleshoot efficiently," Carter said. "I've learned you can find solutions more quickly when you start with the simple checks first."

Carter said the experience improved his ability to read schematics, assemble commonly used components, apply computer fundamentals and think critically through maintenance challenges. It also helped him understand how maintenance supports efficient, reliable manufacturing.

Together, these student workers' experiences show how the program supports workforce development by giving students practical experience and opportunities to explore career paths across the company.