This summer, Kinross Round Mountain partnered with The Nevada Mining Association (NvMA) and the Nevada Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to bring a paid 360-degree mining internship to post-secondary students in Nevada.
The purpose of the program is to pair students in mining-related or environmental sciences fields with some of the top minds and technologies in the industry to provide them with the skills and experience needed to prepare them for a successful career in mining.
Over the course of 10-weeks, interns worked for three weeks with professionals at the BLM and the remaining seven weeks at an active Nevada mine site. Round Mountain was lucky enough to welcome Zoey Planka to the mine as part of her seven weeks working at site.
Check out what Zoey had to say about her time at Round Mountain below!
“My name is Zoey Planka, and I am a Master’s student at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV). I was drawn to the NvMA 360 program because it allowed me to gain exposure to both the private and public sectors over a summer that will give me the knowledge and work experience needed to guide my career path upon graduation.
I was lucky enough to work in the environmental department at Round Mountain where my team made every effort to get me out in the field teaching me how to collect samples, conduct environmental checks and learn the processes for permitting and reporting. While I worked closely with my team, I was also able to work with geologists from the exploration and ore control departments who gave me a new set of knowledge and experiences outside of the environmental department.
While these experiences helped me put theory into practice, another key take away is the importance of teamwork in a large organization. Throughout my time at Round Mountain, I was exposed to the benefits of cross-functional collaboration and the importance of good communication and teamwork from each department to help achieve our goals. I learned that there isn’t one department that ‘knows it all’ and that our success is rooted in our ability share our skills, knowledge and experience with one another.
At the conclusion of my summer, I am grateful for each person I met while working at Round Mountain. Everyone I interacted with shared the same approach to workplace culture by always being willing to lend a hand and to provide advice when needed. My experience here at Round Mountain has further sparked my interest in a career in the mining industry and I can’t wait to see what is next upon graduation!”
