Summer Spotlight: Alexy Boehm of Men's Soccer

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June 21, 2018

Alexy Boehm of GW men's soccer is spending a second straight summer interning at PMX Industries in his native Iowa. The Environmental Studies major is working in the environmental department at the plant that manufactures brass and copper alloys from raw materials for use in car parts, electronics and more. The U.S. Mint, which purchases metal for coins, is one of the company's biggest clients.

GWSports.com caught up with Boehm to find out more about his summer:

Why did you want to spend a second summer at PMX Industries? How does this internship fit into your career plans?

Since I am an Environmental Studies major, this helps give me some first-hand experience in this job market as I try to determine the career path I want to choose. So far, I am really enjoying it. There is always something going on here, and I am always on the move.

I get to attend energy events on behalf of PMX and learn more about other companies, and I can help bring new environmentally friendly ideas to PMX to help them go greener and more sustainable.

Another great aspect of this job is all the people that I get to meet. I have business cards from various customers that have offered me tours of their areas. It's always good to make those connections for possible job or internship opportunities down the road.

What's a typical day like for you there?

A typical day here starts with going around to various machines and making sure their emission readings are in compliance with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and federal EPA regulations.

If anything is out of regulation, we must address it immediately. If everything looks to be in order, then I just have to keep a watchful eye throughout the week. I must also get visible emission readings on the roof, so I have to go up there when the machines are running. We have a zero emission policy, so if something is coming out, such as a black smoke, we must have the issue resolved in a few hours or we have to shut that machine down and figure out the root cause.

I also work very closely with our Waste Water Treatment staff that treats all of the water that is used in the plant. A lot of the machines use extremely acidic and alkaline water with very high or very low pH levels, so it must be treated. I always try to help them out when they need an extra hand.

Finally, I make sure hazardous waste is properly disposed of, such as aerosol cans and lubricants from the machines. Whenever there is a spill of any sort, my boss and I get notified, and we have to make sure that whatever was spilled is properly dressed and disposed of to make sure we don't violate any EPA rules.

Is there anything new you're doing this summer that you're excited about?

I recently got assigned to make an Environmental Product Declaration for our copper and brass coils. This essentially is a document that from start to finish addresses how our product impacts the environment and its human health impact from the raw material we get to the finished copper or brass coil we produce and sell to our customer.

I just got assigned this last week and am still figuring out what kind of tests I need to run to determine all the potential health and environmental impacts. This is my first major project, and I hope to finish it before I need to leave for preseason.

How do you balance working with starting to get ready for the fall season?

I am not playing with a team because there isn't one close enough to me that I can play for and still work my 40 hour a week internship, but staying in shape is not difficult. There is a gym here at PMX that has pretty much everything I need.

I can still follow my summer lifting packet, and there are plenty of soccer fields near me that I go to with my bag of soccer balls and get touches and shots in. I usually take my younger brother, Slava, to help me with various parts of my game, such as my crosses and first touch. Those are two main aspects of my game that I need to improve on.

Since the summer heat in Iowa can get very intense, it provides a good atmosphere to run in outside, so I can get used to the D.C. heat that we endure during preseason. I look forward to my senior season and my last semester as an undergrad. I know it will go by fast.