Fueled for success: UM-Flint student ignites career at HF Sinclair

Kaylynn Charchan has distinguished herself as the first University of Michigan-Flint student to intern at HF Sinclair Corporation. The senior business major completed her 10-week experience in the Velocity internship program on Aug. 1.

According to its website, HF Sinclair Corporation is "an evolving energy company" that provides traditional and renewable fuels and lubricants for planes, trains and automobiles, as well as other essential products such as asphalt, roofing material and components for medicines and cosmetics. Based in Dallas, Texas, the company operates across the U.S. with seven refineries and production facilities in Canada and the Netherlands. With more than 5,000 employees, it exports products to more than 80 countries.

Charchan, a Goodrich native, enjoyed vacationing in Texas while growing up. She liked the atmosphere and culture so much that she devised a strategy to create her future in the Lone Star State.

"I knew that the oil and gas industry dominates the market down there, and I wanted to be where the businesses are," said Charchan. "So, my goal became to land an oil-and-gas internship."

Charchan achieved that goal when HF Sinclair hired her as an information technology intern last May. In this role, she worked as a business partner embedded with the company's human resources department. Working to automate the company's onboarding process allowed Charchan to gain valuable real-world experience.

"I used Microsoft Visio to build a workflow of the company's hiring process from the standpoint of IT, human resources and managers," said Charchan. "It has been nice getting to connect with everyone from the business."

Charchan also worked on various other projects, including journal reports, validation reports and helping to test a new payroll system.

"I think UM-Flint does an amazing job of keeping the curriculum aligned with what is being used in the business and tech world today," said Charchan.

She credits classes like "Management Information Systems" and "Special Topics Seminar" with helping to prepare her. Weiqi Li, an associate professor of management information systems, teaches both courses.

"Information technology has brought great changes to the business environment and applications," said Li. "Future managers are beginning to pay attention to the impact of factors such as intelligent interconnection, information integration, data decision-making and human-machine collaboration, on the business world. Meanwhile, they are cultivating interns and entry-level employees who can grow with this technology and master it."

The varied nature of Charchan's assignments at HF Sinclair allowed her to network with professionals in a broad array of functional units and senior leadership, such as when Ramon Grimaldo Jr., vice president and chief information officer, hosted a group lunch. Opportunities like these, along with weekly check-ins with her direct manager, are the aspects of her internship that Charchan found most beneficial.

"I really value those check-ins because she gave me helpful feedback and took the time to walk through projects and learning goals," said Charchan. "She was always asking if I had questions and wanting to help. It was having that support that made me feel confident and capable in the things I was doing."

Charchan also benefited from a peer mentor, which the company calls a "buddy." Each buddy is a young, entry-level professional engaged in the company's two-year Rotational Development Program. Meetings with her mentor allowed Charchan to ask questions about the finer details of company culture and gain insight into what could be the next phase of her career as an entry-level employee.

HF Sinclair's Velocity program allowed Charchan to bond with the other interns in her cohort. The cohort included nearly two dozen college students at its Victory Park headquarters, two of whom worked in Charchan's department. They ate lunch together every day and embarked on group outings every week. Each intern was paid, and those from outside greater Dallas received a stipend that helped them afford housing, food, transportation, utilities and other expenses. This support helped Charchan focus on learning while living 1,200 miles from home.

"I think HF Sinclair has an incredible internship program because you can tell that they are really invested in creating a meaningful experience," said Charchan. "Everyone is very knowledgeable and supportive, so it is a really great environment to learn and grow in."

Charchan will return to campus in late August for her final semester. During this time, she plans to continue studying for the Project Management Institute's exam to become a certified associate in project management. She also aspires to find full-time employment in the fields of IT or project management, potentially with HF Sinclair.

The Career Services office can help UM-Flint students learn more about internships. The office has six advisors, including Dionne Minner of the School of Management, who can be reached at 810-762-3160 or dminner@umich.edu.

Students may inquire about HF Sinclair's Velocity internship program by contacting its human resources department at 214-871-3555 or hr@hfsinclair.com.