All in a day’s work.

When interns and co-ops join Kohler, many are not quite sure what to expect, but, they quickly learn that it’s much more than just filing paperwork and answering phones. It’s an opportunity to make a real contribution—in more ways than one. “I wanted to work for Kohler because it’s known to be performance driven, innovative and fast paced,” said Savannah Stenlund, human resources intern and international business major.

Luckily, we did not disappoint.

“My job provides endless opportunities to grow and learn,” Savannah continued. “I go to work with a smile on my face, looking forward to the new challenges that are sent my way every day.”

Savannah does everything from sourcing resumes and attending job fairs to assisting with interviews and managing associate onboarding. She was even put in charge of planning and facilitating an annual human resources integration seminar for associates from around the world.

Our interns and co-ops quickly discover that working at Kohler is much more than a line item for their resume. In addition to career skills and on-the-job experience, they also get a taste for our Stewardship program—our commitment to making the world a better place, from the arts and community to workplace and the environment. And that commitment is what brought Cher Xue, an environmental management graduate, to Kohler.

“As a student in the environmental field, I wanted to work for an organization that cares about sustainability,” said Cher, now a product development sustainability co-op. Kohler has long been a supporter of sustainable manufacturing and believes that better business and a better environment go hand in hand. But it is our people, like Cher, that make it happen day in, day out.

“Now I work with engineers to understand the environmental impact of a product from raw material all the way to the end of its lifetime, and then develop models and tools to help lower the impact,” Cher explained. “I see immediate results and really feel that I can make an impact through my work.”

Sanitary engineering co-op and mechanical engineering student Keegan Moldenhauer echoes Cher’s sentiments.

“I never thought I’d spend so much time working with toilets but developing products that fill people’s homes all over the world is awesome,” said Keegan. “Being able to improve people’s lives through our products is a great feeling.”

Leading the Earth Day planning committee, however, remains his proudest achievement at Kohler. The committee organized and hosted campus-wide sustainability events, including a clothing drive to benefit the local homeless and runaway population.

“I think as engineers, we're basically just problem solvers, and I want to work on solving the world's biggest problem. By setting up this clothing drive, we're able to lower our collective carbon footprint and help people in our community,” said Keegan.

Despite volunteering additional personal time to plan the event, he’d do it all again. “I’d love to be involved in more Stewardship activities. I’ve had the opportunity to work with associates from all over the company, figure out my own career goals and improve the planet while I’m at it.”

Career development. Check.
Community service. Check.
Caring for the environment. Check.

All in a day’s work for Kohler interns and co-ops.