Dr. Dobbins is the founder and owner of two companies, Caster Concepts and Conceptual Innovations. He has been running his own internship program for the past decade. He believes interns bring curiosity, technological knowledge, and dedication to the company, challenging the status quo and sparking fresh ideas. He mentioned that while there isn't a specific example, the general impact is through the collision of different perspectives, which helps to evolve ideas and foster creativity.

Dr. Dobbins’s company has spent between $350,000 and $500,000 on internships over the last decade. Despite the cost, the program has been a success, with interns gaining valuable experiences, often going on to further their education in engineering and returning to contribute. The approach reflects a commitment to “conscious capitalism” by reinvesting profits into the community rather than just seeking personal gain.

Dr. Dobbins feels that the hardest part of the internship program isn’t the program itself but the time commitment from mentors, parents, and other employees who make the program work. The company can support the program, but the hard work comes from others involved.

He believes the focus should be on the mission and belief in the value of internships rather than just the money. Convincing companies to support the mission is key, and sponsorships like those from FIRST are valuable. Dr. Dobbins emphasizes commitment to teaching and giving back to the younger generations. 

He encourages others to think about the mission behind the internship program. While it might not always be easy, finding early adopters who are open to the idea can help drive the initiative forward. He also suggests that company owners focus on the cultural benefits of bringing fresh perspectives and new ideas into the organization, which can ultimately lead to innovation and growth. The investment in the program should be viewed as an investment in future talent, and even if the process isn't always smooth, the long-term rewards—such as developing future talent, fostering a positive  company culture, and contributing to the community—are invaluable.
Dr. Dobbins mentions that while some company owners may hesitate due to the perceived cost, it’s crucial to shift the mindset from focusing on the money to focusing on the impact an internship program can have. Owners should remember that building relationships with the next generation can strengthen the industry as a whole.

Dr. Lee is an employee at Caster Concepts and Conceptual Innovations who organizes and coordinates the intern program every year. He notes that it's rare to find individuals with a high level of persistence and determination at a younger age, which acts as a filtering mechanism for selecting those motivated enough to stick with demanding work, even without all the technical skills initially. Attracting talent to work in a rural area is difficult, as many people prefer larger cities or tech hubs. He was introduced to FIRST Robotics (FRC) through a showcase event, which sparked his interest in how teams operated and led him to want to be part of one.

In the beginning, Dr. Lee struggled with hiring engineers, most of whom left the company after a few years. This frustration led him to involve students in FIRST Robotics. Through his work with students, he realized that persistence mattered more than raw technical skill. While the students weren’t experts at first, their determination to work through challenges made them successful. This led him to develop an internship program to teach students in the off-season, allowing them to build skills before the next competition.

Hunter, the first intern, had little software experience, but his persistence helped him succeed through hands-on learning. The program grew over time, starting with one intern and eventually reaching ten. The growing resources, including a larger facility, helped accommodate the increasing number of interns.

The internships focused on FRC-compatible projects, helping students gain valuable skills in CAD, programming, and more, which they applied to the competition robot. He also noticed a strong overlap between FIRST Robotics skills and industry requirements, showing that persistence and skills learned through FRC could be applied in real-world jobs.

Dr. Lee views the internship program as a way to build a database of talented, persistent students for future job opportunities. While the program grew organically, he emphasizes that fostering a strong team culture and teaching persistence is rare and valuable

Tyler Bretes' path to engineering wasn’t something he planned from the start. As a kid, he loved video games, LEGO, and tinkering with electronics—fixing phones and playing around with IT projects in his free time. But it wasn’t until his freshman year of high school that everything clicked.

At Concord High School, a group of seniors started a robotics team, and Bretes got involved through his friend’s older brother. At first, he wasn’t sure what to expect, but building a robot sounded like a cool challenge. Their first season was rough—the team was inexperienced, their mentor from Ford did most of the work, and they unknowingly broke a lot of competition rules. Their robot had a terrible autonomous program, and they didn’t perform well at events. Despite all that, something about the experience kept Bretes coming back.

Things changed in his sophomore year when a math teacher took over as coach. This time, the students had to step up and take ownership of their robot. That’s when Bretes started to really enjoy the process. It wasn’t just about competing—it was about solving problems, building things, and working as a team.

By junior year, he met Dr. Lee, a mentor who made a huge impact on his journey. Through Dr. Lee, Bretes was introduced to CAD (computer-aided design) and finally understood how things were built from the ground up. That hands-on experience sealed the deal—he knew engineering was what he wanted to do. After high school, he went to Jackson College and then earned his mechanical engineering degree from Western Michigan University.

FIRST Robotics set the foundation for Bretes’ love of engineering, but his internship experience is what really brought it to life. Working at Conceptual Innovations wasn’t just a job—it was a game changer.

His internship helped him connect what he was learning in school to real-world applications. Suddenly, complex equations and abstract engineering principles made sense because he was actually using them. Instead of just studying concepts, he was applying them to real projects. That hands-on experience gave him a huge advantage in class and helped him create things he was truly proud of.

Beyond the technical skills, the internship gave him confidence in his career path. Seeing his work come to life reinforced why he had chosen engineering. Plus, it opened doors to multiple job offers before he even graduated, setting him up for success.

He stresses the importance of trusting good mentors and taking chances. As a student, he once helped build a prototype for an omni-directional drive system under Dr. Lee. At the time, it felt like just another project, but that prototype later became something much bigger. By the time he was 19, his name was on a patent—something that would eventually be used by major companies. If he had dismissed it as just another assignment, he would have missed out on a huge opportunity.

For FIRST students, internships aren’t just about gaining experience—they’re a chance to apply what you’ve learned, meet professionals, and figure out what excites you. Bretes’ story proves that stepping out of your comfort zone, seeking mentorship, and embracing challenges can lead to amazing opportunities.

If you're a FIRST student thinking about a STEM career, now is the time to start looking for internships. Whether it's networking, reaching out to mentors, or applying to programs, every step you take now can shape your future. Who knows? The project you're working on today might be the first step toward something groundbreaking.

When Devin Easterwood became involved with FRC team 5205, he had no idea what opportunities lay ahead. Now, he works full-time as the lead software engineer at Conceptual Innovations, a robotics mobility company. Easterwood first joined the team 5205 as a sophomore, driven by his interest in tinkering with gadgets and programming. He dedicated himself to learning as much as possible during his first season, which paid off when his head mentor, Dr. Lee, offered him an internship at Conceptual Innovations.

Initially, Easterwood planned to continue working at a family friend’s tree farm over the summer. In previous summers, the experience taught him the value of hard work, as he learned to operate skid-steer loaders, stack wood, and manage heavy loads. However, when the internship opportunity at Conceptual Innovations arose, he realized his passion was in robotics, and he decided to pursue engineering further.

Easterwood’s first task was to program and stabilize a traction differential swerve drive, an omnidirectional drive system. Prototyping with FRC components, Easterwood was able to demonstrate the feasibility and limitations of this drive system for industrial use. While the controllability was limited at higher speeds typically found in FRC robots, Easterwood found that, at the slower speeds typically associated with industrial robotics, he could develop a PID control algorithm that maintained stability. Boeing, an aerospace manufacturing company, showed interest, and so the Halo Drive was born. Boeing utilizes the Halo Drive in their industrial manufacturing space by integrating them into large work stands which drive up to airplane fuselages. 

Easterwood continued his internship while attending Albion College on a full-ride scholarship, graduating in 2024 with a degree in computer science. Much of what he learned during his FRC seasons directly translated to his work. Now, straight out of college, he is working full-time at Conceptual Innovations and leads software development for all drive systems. 

Easterwood emphasizes that internships are opportunities to learn, not to be perfect. “When projects blow up in your face, learn from it.”