Wallace Anthony Endley

I started to work at Ferrum AG on August 2, right after Swiss National Day and I started during a highly demanding time where work was much and many people were on holiday, this was good because it made me learn fast and have attention to detail in mind. I was fortunate to have an extensive mentorship team where I worked with Bruno Hildebrand firstly and he taught me how to assemble spare parts for the canning machines. My administrative mentor was Daniel Voss who arranged my workstation changes, holidays and department visits within the company. I worked mostly with Dario Di Dominico who I became very familiar with and he was a very good mentor, he always had something new to show me, he became like a big brother to me. I also worked with Franco Chiantera who I called Papa Franco because he always expressed care and attention to my working methods. The whole team I worked with called the GBC montage was really great and I value all the time each single one spent to become familiar with me.

It was really a great life changing opportunity to work at Ferrum AG because people in the company I met were all very kind to me and I will remember every single one individually. I definitely value Swiss work mentality and people at Ferrum really embrace all the ethics at work and many have told me that experience is key to a good career especially to becoming a good engineer. Understanding my role in a team is also something I cherish, knowing that all the work I did could potentially be used by other large companies that use Ferrum machines really brings joy to my heart. During my time at Ferrum I became friends with my colleague Pascal Viau, we had much in common, he really showed me a fun time in Switzerland as we went to a festival called Badenfahrt which only happens every 10 years, I was lucky to have been there. We also went to Amsterdam together for a memorable weekend trip, he was a really good guide to showing me the outgoing lifestyle Swiss people experience and I will miss the fun we had together.

I lived with Madeleine and her son Mohammed Abdulkadir, I had a room in their tranquil house and they are very lovely people who really made me feel at home and I was comfortable right from the beginning. I really felt part of their household and Madeleine really became a motherly figure to me during my time, she was really caring and always made sure that I was okay and that my day was good. We could share many stories and she thought me a lot about the Swiss history, culture and cuisine. Mohammed was also like a big brother and we often spoke about career planning, travel and general manly things where he could always give me advice and share a laugh together.

I also got a chance to meet Ahmed and Vanessa Abdulkadir with their two lovely baby boys and they were also very concerned about my stay in Switzerland and always gave me ideas about what to do during my stay. I was very fortunate to accompany the Abdulkadir on their holiday to Nendaz, I had a very nice and memorable time with each member and I will really miss the Fondue and Raclette moments we shared. I also met the Zimmerman family who were also very kind and welcoming to me, they also live in Hunzenschwil were I stayed with the Abdulkadirs. The Zimmerman family invited me for a weekend trip to their house in Ticino where I saw the most beautiful place ever called the Valle Verzasca and Lago Maggiore. I really appreciate the time they spent with me too.

I made sure to plan my weekend trips really well and I saw most of the major cities with my favourite being Bern, I became friends with a lady named Daniela who became my city guide during my two visits to Bern. All the cities are very memorable and I made sure to collect a little souvenir of each one while I was there. The hardest thing to about being in a different country for 3 months is that you are there long enough to say you are more than a tourist but also too short to be a resident, you have enough time to get to know people well but you will soon have to say goodbye if you have become close. With social media being so advanced it is always possible to keep contact. I loved the food and historic nature of Switzerland and this will be unforgettable.

I plan to start a career focused on the Food and Beverage Industry, I think this industry has potential and is one that will always need growth and improvement. I wish to use my knowledge I have gained at Ferrum and learn more about other machinery which works together in the production industry. I plan to complete my Bachelor of Technology Degree in Mechanical Engineering and pursue a Master’s Degree within the next 5 years with the hopes of starting my own business. I would wholeheartedly like to thank every single person and organisation who has made this internship possible for me. I thank B360 Educational Partnerships and its Donors, Ferrum AG, the Abdulkadir family and all the people I have met in Switzerland for giving me a live changing experience. I will always be grateful for this privileged opportunity.