Our Graduate Trainee Shannen deVries will soon be moving to the US to live and work stateside in what she says is the "opportunity of a lifetime".

Shannen, who has just celebrated her first anniversary working at our UK headquarters in Malton, North Yorkshire, will be moving to Houston, Texas, to experience living and working in the city for the next two months as part of her training programme. 

The 23-year-old says: "I’m having a pinch me moment right now. This last year has been like a whirlwind, I came to HMi to do some data entry work then found myself helping in the production department – and I loved it. I have taken to all the technical stuff really quickly, who ever knew there is a whole wide world outside of English literature".

"The trip to Houston is the opportunity of a lifetime and I’m really excited about what’s ahead."

Shannen flies out to Texas on Tuesday 11 April and will be living in an apartment complex in a Houston suburb called The Woodlands. In the city, she will be working alongside our Vice President of Global Sales Rob Gaines and Sales Support Engineer Victor Galan, attending client meetings, and learning more about what it’s like to work in the sales side of a global specialist hazardous area computer manufacturer.

“Rob and I will be travelling around Texas visiting customers, and I’ll be spending time in the office with Victor. I’m mostly looking forward to getting a deeper insight into our customers and decision-makers and understanding the sales process.

“I’ll also be attending the Offshore Technology Conference, known as the OTC 2023, while I’m there. It will be a good education for me as I joined HMi a year ago after graduating from University with an English Literature Degree. So, understanding technology is still relatively new to me. OTC will give me the opportunity to delve deeper into understanding emerging technologies and really broaden my knowledge and contacts in the industry.”

But her experience isn’t all about work. Shannen is a huge fan of the arts, in particular reading and the theatre. She plans to make the most of the social side of Texas and would love to take a road trip to New Orleans for an authentic jazz experience there.

“I’ll definitely be making the most of my spare time,” says Shannen. “Visiting local theatres, libraries, outdoor spaces and I might take Spanish lessons while I’m there too that would be a good way to learn a new language and make friends.” 

Will she get homesick? “I’ll miss my family and friends for sure, but I’ll have so much to learn and explore and I’m very independent. I think I’ll just embrace everything Texas has to offer. It will be very different to the quiet life in Malton I’m sure.” 

Shannen will return to the UK in June to continue her Graduate Trainee programme at HMi Elements.