MEET OUR 2021 SUMMER INTERNS

Friday September 10, 2021

Now that students are heading back to school, we want to extend our deep appreciation for the fantastic interns we had on the Twin Metals Minnesota – Ely team this summer. Our summer internship program is something we look forward to every year here at Twin Metals. We remain committed to ensuring there’s a pathway on the Iron Range for mining careers. While our mining project is at the beginning stage of multi-year environmental review processes, our project will need to recruit for and fill 750 full-time mining jobs once operational. 

Learn more about our 2021 summer interns – Anne Barich and Daniel DeVos – along with the work that they completed over their time with us throughout the last few months. We thank them for their contribution to our project and wish them all the best as they complete their studies and enter the workforce in the future.

Twin Metals intern Anne Barich helped to prepare core samples to be shipped out for metallurgical testing.

Intern Spotlight: Anne Barich

Anne Barich is originally from Babbitt, Minn., and hopes to return to the area for work after school. She recently graduated from the Northeast Range High School in Babbitt in spring of 2021 and is now a freshman at Bemidji State University pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies and Project Management. Barich shared her experiences working as an intern on the Twin Metals Minnesota project this summer:

What projects did you work on this summer as part of your internship with Twin Metals?

I worked on several projects with the Ely team. At the beginning of the summer, I spent much of my time using an acoustical televiewing truck to do downhole surveys of exploration drill holes prior to them being sealed. Completing these surveys helps the engineers building the underground mine understand how truly stable the rock is above the underground workings.

We also completed a large geo-met infill sample project where I took pictures of a few thousand feet of core samples before they were cut and then bagged, prepped and shipped out for metallurgical testing. Through this work, I gained insight on the extensive hydrogeological study Twin Metals has undertaken to better understand how water interacts with the project area.  

Additionally, I worked this summer on a large variety of land management and sustainability projects.

What did you enjoy most about your experience working at Twin Metals, and how do you think it will contribute to furthering your education?

I enjoyed all aspects of my summer job at Twin Metals. Every day, there was a new experience and new opportunities to gain knowledge. It was particularly fulfilling to work from the beginning to the end of the geo-met infill sample project.

I also enjoyed the time I spent in the field learning about land management. There is truly so much more that goes into the Twin Metals project than I ever expected. The entire experienced reassured my desire to study environmental science and all the different opportunities I can have in an environmental career.

What impression did you get of Twin Metals as a company while you were working here?

It is clear that everyone at Twin Metals values a job well done in a safe and efficient manner. Working with people that had such a strong passion for the job they were doing was a great experience. I was very fortunate to have an opportunity to work for Twin Metals and gain skills and knowledge early in my college studies. 

I’m grateful to have been able to contribute to such a great project, working as part of a team toward a common goal that is very important to my community and in my view, our entire country and world.

Twin Metals intern Daniel DeVos worked to put the finishing touches on monitoring well casings.

Intern Spotlight: Daniel DeVos

Daniel DeVos grew up in Milaca, Minn., and moved recently to Ely in 2018. He is currently a junior in the Mine Engineering and Management program at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. Upon finishing college, he plans on working internationally, after which, he hopes to come back to work in the Ely area again. DeVos shared his experiences working as an intern on the Twin Metals Minnesota project this summer:

What projects did you work on this summer as part of your internship with Twin Metals?

Anne and I worked together on the acoustic televiewing work, which involves sending sonar cameras down boreholes to collect images of any fractures in the rock. Ultimately, this information is key in helping to inform our engineering team as they design and develop the underground workings of the mine and ensuring a safe working environment.

For our core sampling project, I helped to cut the core samples that would be sent out for testing. The sampling provides necessary information for the needs of our processing facility as well as providing ore quality information.

What did you enjoy most about your experience working at Twin Metals, and how do you think it will contribute to furthering your education?

I greatly enjoyed working with Twin Metals. Learning about the geology and the development phase of a mining operation has provided a different perspective from the ones I’ve had in college so far. This experience will add value to my studies over the next two years.

What impression did you get of Twin Metals as a company while you were working here?

Twin Metals is truly a step above when it comes to safety and environmental protection. Every Twin Metals employee I met demonstrated these values during my time working with the team in Ely.

Barich working on acoustical televiewing of Twin Metals exploration wells.
DeVos working on acoustical televiewing of Twin Metals exploration wells.
Barich and DeVos assist in the field with ground truthing and site access planning.
DeVos and Barich preparing core samples to be shipped out for metallurgical testing.