Student Spotlight: Damien Bonis
With experience from two internships already under his belt, Damien Bonis, a junior studying Concrete Industry Management (CIM) is eagerly looking ahead to summer 2018 when he will intern with BASF Master Builders Solutions in Germany. These types of opportunities to interact with industry are just what brought Bonis, the Long Beach, CA, native to Chico State’s CIM program, one of four such programs in the nation that combine the disciplines of concrete technology with business administration.
Students in the CIM program have a unique opportunity to weave direct industry experience into their education from their first semester in the CIM program, and Bonis wasted no time getting started.
“When choosing CIM, the professional opportunities definitely appealed to me, as well as the 100% job placement success of program graduates,” said Bonis who was introduced to CIM by former director and family acquaintance, Dr. Tanya Komas.
In addition to internships at leading companies, students in the CIM program have professional development opportunities like traveling to industry tradeshows, the largest of which is World of Concrete, held annually in Las Vegas. This year a dozen CIM students, including Bonis attended workshops, met with exhibitors and hosted a CIM booth.
Bonis received the Bob Weatherton Award for a presentation he made to his peers, students from other CIM programs, faculty, and industry judges during the World of Concrete. His presentation outlining his experience in the CIM program included highlights from classes, internships, and student club involvement, coupled with his confident presenting abilities bested more than a dozen other student speakers for the honor. He received a $2,500 scholarship with the award.
“Damien is an outstanding student. While maintaining a strong GPA, he has been active in community service projects such at Chico’s Sierra View Elementary School and Inspire High School projects, as well as in CIM research projects “ said Feraidon Ataie, CIM program coordinator. “He is indeed a role model for other Chico State students.”
Bonis credits his well-rounded CIM education and hands-on experiences outside the classroom with providing him with a broad understanding of the industry. His first internship was a summer doing repairs at Alcatraz Island National Historic Landmark. He followed that up with a technical internship with BASF in Cleveland, Ohio. And this summer, he will integrate the business portion of the CIM curriculum with a marketing-focused internship with BASF in Germany.