Isiah Tiongson gained hands-on experience as an engineering intern with Viega, a family-owned global leader in press technology and a manufacturer of plumbing and HVAC solutions. A mechanical engineering student at Wichita State University, he is set to graduate in December 2026.
His main focus during the internship was learning how to support the Maintenance and Reliability Department. This included weekly mentoring from the specialists and engineers on the Maintenance and Reliability team.
“This allowed me to learn all the applications the team uses, procedures to be followed, day to day challenges, and responsibilities of the team,” Isiah said.
Isiah also worked on creating a website to launch the plant’s Technical Documentation Library. This helps move all current documents to a more accessible platform and still follow the plants' hierarchy.
Isiah recognizes how the Shocker Career Accelerator helped immensely in his job search. When he decided to focus on landing a job and receiving over 50 rejections, Isiah knew something was wrong.
He reached out to the Shocker Career Accelerator and met with them three times. Career Coaches Aaron Evans and Sara Leftwich helped Isiah rebuild his resume, gave advice on networking, showed different job platforms, and gave him the confidence to keep trying.
“I continue to be grateful for the effort and support that they gave me,” Isiah said.
He first connected with Viega during the Shocker Career Accelerator’s Fall 2024 Engineering & IT Career Fair. Isiah was intent on talking to three to five companies he had genuine interest in and building that connection with those representatives. He eventually landed at Viega’s table where he met Christopher Welsh in Human Resources and Herb Schoenhoefer in Quality Management.
“It was challenging for me, I had to participate in the fair with a recovering knee, so I was still limping and bandaged,” Isiah said, “Christopher and Herb respected my grit and determination to be at the fair, and they shared details about the business, culture, and work environment at Viega.”
After a meaningful conversation, he made a strong connection that led to an interview. Isiah was soon selected for Viega’s Summer 2025 internship.
Throughout the internship, he received an introduction to the world of maintenance and reliability of a manufacturing plant. This included how to use applications like System, Applications, and Products in Data Processing (SAP) and Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). He shadowed specialists that covered oil analysis, maintenance schedules, and engineering practices. Because of this, Isiah was able to support his team while focusing on the continuation of his project.
With his applied learning experience, Isiah truly experienced the embodiment of theory versus practice. He was constantly dealing with the reality that his knowledge is very limited to theory while the practice of things could end up costly. In class, Isiah learns how materials interact, how systems function, and how engineering principles worked. When he was on the production floor trying to solve a crash, testing the theories could end very costly.
“My mistakes in class would mean –5 or –10 points, but in the industry, a mistake can cost $10,000 or more,” Isiah said.
His most accomplishing moment came when the summer interns presented final projects. The main point of the meeting was to review all the intern projects and how the internships turned out overall. After concluding his presentation, Isiah received much praise for his efforts. However, he notes that the best part came during the Q&A session. Isiah was able to answer every single question asked.
“The other managers were impressed by how much I learned during a short span of time and even commended my manager for the training he provided,” Isiah said.
That meeting ultimately opened the door for Isiah to continue with Viega in a part-time role throughout the school year.
Isiah’s internship with Viega has truly given him a perspective on what type of engineer he wanted to be. Going to the production floor every day, doing routes, and troubleshooting helped him find a clear sense of direction on the career he wanted to pursue.
“I knew I did not want to be an engineer who would primarily be on a desk all day,” Isiah said.
Now Isiah continues to work with Viega as a Maintenance and Reliability Engineer using learned skills such as on-the-spot problem solving and critical thinking for his day-to-day responsibilities. This ranges from reducing unplanned downtime of the machines to data analysis of parts consumption and maintenance plans.
“My personal advice to give to all students, especially international students like me, is to be more intentional with your efforts,” Isiah says, “Focus on the things you really want, try relentlessly, and never be afraid to ask for help.”
Wichita State's applied learning program gives students hands-on, paid experience with industry partners, helping them build careers before graduation.
For more information, contact the Shocker Career Accelerator at (316) 978-3688, SCA@wichita.edu, or visit wichita.edu/Career. You can also stop by in person at the Marcus Welcome Center, Suite 139, on the Wichita State campus.
Courtesy Photo
Courtesy Photo