Polished resumes passed from student to recruiter as lines formed in front of industry booths at the Inn at Virginia Tech. Mining engineering students, dressed in suits and business formal attire, navigated the room—introducing themselves, asking questions, and listening closely as company representatives described opportunities in their fields.

For two days in late October more than 50 mining, minerals, and energy resource industry partners participated in the mining and minerals engineering department’s largest career fair to date, reflecting both the growing demand for mining engineers as well as the program’s strong industry connections.

According to Michelle Crotto, mining and minerals engineering academic advisor, the career fair is not only a crucial path for students looking for their full-time dream job, but it’s a gateway to numerous summer internship and co-op opportunities.

Meagan Dixon

Mitchell Dreffer

The mining engineering program at Virginia Tech exemplifies the university's commitment to experiential learning by connecting students with opportunities that transform classroom theory into hands-on expertise. Access to these opportunities is remarkable, as senior Mitchell Dreffer (Class of '26) discovered during his time in the program. 

"There is a really high demand for mining engineers but not a lot of people do it," Dreffer said. "Getting internships and experience in the industry is really easy and it's really accessible."

Experiential learning for mining engineering students

For mining and minerals engineering students at Virginia Tech, internships are far more than resume builders — they're essential bridges between classroom theory and industry reality. This summer, students fanned out across the country, from Alaska to West Virginia, gaining hands-on experience with leading companies, including Vulcan Materials, Austin Powder, Luck Stone, Rogers Group, Core Natural Resources, and Granite Construction.

Building technical expertise

The technical skills students developed paint a picture of the mining industry's diverse demands. Katherine Patillo, a class of ’27 junior working with Vulcan Materials in Warrenton, Virginia, rotated through quality control labs, blasting operations, and plant management, frequently operating crushers from the control room. Mitchell Dreffer spent this past summer at Austin Powder providing shot designs and learning to safely handle explosives. Meanwhile, underground at Core Natural Resources' metallurgical coal mine, class of ‘27 junior Sophia Gwaltney started in mine fire recovery before becoming an underground apprentice, where she gained "incredibly valuable skills in firsthand operation of continuous miner sections."

Beyond technical skills

Beyond the hard skills, students discovered that industry culture shapes daily work as profoundly as technical knowledge. Class of ’26 senior Meagan Dixon’s experience working for the Rogers Group deepened her understanding of safety protocols. "Safety culture is one of the most important aspects of running a site," said Dixon. "No question is a dumb question, especially if you want to learn and grow."

Perhaps most valuable were lessons about adaptability and personal growth. Senior Katie Bottom (class of '26), working for Granite Construction in Alaska, advised future interns to be open to new experiences and bring a positive attitude.

“You never know what experiences a new location is going to bring," said Bottom.

Lexington Smith, class of ’27, is currently on a year-long co-op with Luck Stone in Richmond, Virginia. She emphasized the importance of connecting with diverse perspectives.

“Students should always take the opportunity to grow as a person and always try to connect with those who differ from you,” said Smith.

Katie Bottom

“Scaling up” from classroom to field

Nadia Bass is a class of '26 senior and has spent most of her summer internships in the coal industry, where she quickly saw how field experience quickly complements classroom learning in unexpected ways.

"Inside the classroom, you have to memorize concepts and theories, but when you're in the field using them, that learning has become muscle memory,” Bass explained. But in the field, the real difference is one scale. She recalled in class learning about the batteries used in underground scoops.

“I imagined something the size of my phone; something you could carry around,” Bass said. “But underground, these batteries are actually about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle!”

This was a revelation that completely changed her understanding of the logistics involved in moving and operating heavy equipment in underground settings.

One the biggest advantages of the department's internship program for Mitchell Dreffer was the opportunity to experience different kinds of industries and develop different skills. As a performance improvement intern last year with Heidelberg Materials, Dreffer served in operational roles: driving haul trucks, operating loaders, and working in active mines. This past summer he worked as part of Austin Powder’s technical representative team where he practiced a whole new set of skills.

"I learned how to fly a drone, take drone photogrammetry pictures, and conduct GPS surveying all over the place,” Dreffer said. “At the end of the summer, I was able to design my own blast and set it off myself. It was pretty fun."

Returning to class

When these students return to campus, they bring more than technical competence — they carry confidence. Their summer experiences have transformed them from students into emerging professionals ready to shape the future of mining.

"The skills I learned will transfer to my classroom work as well as my long-term career," Gwaltney said.

As Virginia Tech continues to make work-based experiential learning central to its hands-on, minds-on approach to undergraduate education, the mining and minerals engineering program’s industry partnerships offer students learning opportunities that build real-world skills, creating a vital bridge between classroom theory and professional practice.

"By giving students hands-on experiences needed for their careers in this critical field,” said Aaron Noble, C.T. Holland Professor and department head in mining and minerals engineer, “we are helping to build a strong workforce that are prepared to tackle some our industry’s biggest challenges.”