Gijs Herings
Tell us a bit about yourself.
“Hi! My name is Gijs, a graduate manufacturing systems engineer from the Eindhoven University of Technology with an endless curiosity for complex systems, cultures, and food.”
Why did you apply for Internships in the Valley?
“I discovered Magrathea through my network but the start-up would not have been able to hire me without being a part of this program. It lowers the effort for all parties to obtain a visa, making joining small and fast-growing companies possible!”
How did you land your internship using your network?
“I didn’t have the opportunity to go abroad during my master’s due to the pandemic but I’ve always wanted to move to an English-speaking country. So after graduating, I began asking around friends and colleagues to see if anyone had connections to people or companies in the US. Eventually, one of my friends put me in contact with a company and here I am!”
What was the biggest culture shock upon arrival?
“I arrived in the Midwest, which meant everything looks exactly like the movies, including casual gun talks, a ton of Ford F-150s, and drive-through ATMs! Another big culture shock for me was that while Americans travel frequently between states, their differences in culture and regulations are enormous.”
Tell us about your company and your role as an intern.
“Magrathea makes the alchemist's dream come true, turning seawater into carbon-neutral magnesium metal. Metal without mining! In the first few months of my internship, I worked on building a foundry. Currently, my role is mainly to support chemical engineers by turning ideas into actual apparatus and equipment. Just recently, Magrathea raised a $10M seed round!”
We heard you took a big drive from Michigan to San Francisco, how did that go? What were some of the highlights?
“This trip was awesome! We rented an automatic Penske truck to move the lab from Michigan to California and hit some national parks along the way.
We started after the Indiana Dunes National Park from which we could see the Chicago skyline. From there, we entered the Great Plains of Kansas where the landscape didn’t change for almost a full day. Then, we hit the Rockies in Colorado and visited the Garden of the Gods. This was so beautiful coming out of snowy winter! We also stopped in Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado before crossing state lines into Utah. In Utah, we visited Zion National Park before continuing our drive to California with a final stop at Yosemite National Park.
All in all, it was an amazing road trip. The sketchiest thing was driving in this automatic rental truck in the mountainous regions coming out of winter. We also saw some deer crossing the road causing us to brake suddenly. Overall, my biggest impression was how vast everything is in this country! It was definitely an unforgettable experience.”
“The mission of the company, combined with all the positive energy released by my colleagues motivates me everyday.”
