Instead of spending his summer in a classroom or at the beach, Maksymilian Kruc is donning a neon yellow vest and heading into the field, helping Publix manage its environmental footprint from the inside out.
Kruc, a rising senior at Florida Polytechnic University, earned a highly sought-after internship at Publix’s Lakeland headquarters, and is working to support its Environmental Compliance Department.
“My project this summer is to update facilities’ waste management plans, which are databases for all the waste streams that a facility produces recurringly,” Kruc said.
These facilities include distribution centers, deli plants, and fresh kitchens. As part of his internship, Kruc and his team visit the various locations to gather information and create standardized testing procedures.
He said the blend of office research and hands-on site experience offers him a real-world look at how sustainability works in one of Florida’s largest companies.
“It’s half corporate work and half field work, so it’s a nice mix for me,” said Kruc, originally from Jelenia Góra, Poland. “We go on site and do audits at least once or twice a week, so I’m not in the office all the time. When I am, it’s super fun because I get to work with professionals in the industry.”
Kruc credits his Florida Poly education for preparing him to tackle the technical challenges of the internship through valuable coursework and close collaboration with faculty.
“Almost everything I do – like all the sampling work on site – I’ve already done because of the research I’ve worked on in the classroom,” he said. “I like that we can work hands-on with the professors a lot, and that’s something special.”
Contact:
Lydia Guzmán
Director of Communications
863-874-8557
