For the past two years, Aidan Heck ‘27 has completed his major's co-op requirements at a thermal engineering services company using the skills and experience he gained in his college classes.
Ever since he was young, Aidan Heck ‘27 has had an inherent interest in understanding how things work. His curiosity led him to constantly tinker with the appliances around his home, taking them apart and putting them back together to better grasp their functionality and purpose.
When the time came for him to choose a college, Aidan found himself gravitating toward programs that would allow him to gain hands-on work experience while also improving his knowledge of the engineering field. Those interests led him to York College of Pennsylvania, where he became a Mechanical Engineering major and found many opportunities to apply what he learned in class to real-world work.
Now, Aidan is completing his co-op requirements at Advanced Cooling Technologies (ACT), a thermal engineering services company that allows him to help develop products for a range of industries, from satellites and medical devices to HVAC systems.
Application at ACT
Aidan connected with ACT last year while looking for work opportunities to complete his co-op requirements. He was invited to tour the Lancaster company, where he learned more about the types of projects they worked on.
One of ACT’s most recent undertakings was building several structural components for the Artemis II mission, as well as parts to get the vessel into orbit. It was one of many projects the company has done for NASA, and ACT anticipates more collaborations in the future.
It is the type of work that York College alum Andrew Jeffers ‘18 and his fellow engineers at ACT consider important. Currently working as the lead engineer for ACT’s high-volume constant-conductance heat pipe line, Jeffers emphasized that the impact and challenge of their work are always at the forefront of their minds, pushing them to give 100% into the projects that they take on.
“The impact comes from knowing that technologies people use/rely on every day are supported by the satellites and aerospace systems that contain components we helped bring to life,” Jeffers said. “The challenge aspect of it comes from meeting incredibly high standards required for spaceflight hardware. It’s satisfying to solve difficult engineering problems, seeing the solutions to those problems come to life, and to watch the company grow as the demand for advanced thermal management increases.”
Another interest of Aidan’s that grew over time was the aerospace industry. When he found more ways to do work that aligned with that field, he jumped at the chance to make that the focus of his co-op internships.
“ACT is big in the aerospace industry, with not just the heat pipes, but other products that they make for other applications,” Aidan said. “Aerospace is a big interest of mine, and somewhere I’m looking to get into once I’m out of school. So it was a nice plug-in right there.”
Aidan applied and was accepted as an intern at ACT for the 2025 summer. The experience was positive for him, and he returned to ACT in December to complete his second co-op requirement, where he has been working since and will most likely finish in August.
"I work in the high-volume, constant-conductance heat pipe area. These heat pipes are used to cool satellites, and high volume is where we handle large quantity orders, like satellite constellations," Aidan said. "As the demand for global internet increases, these satellite arrays continue to increase in size."
The experience has also allowed him to utilize the lessons he learned from his college classes. York College offers students a wide variety of courses that provide relevant experience and hands-on projects, helping them put what they learn into practice.
For Aidan, they served as building blocks for the work and new skills he gained at ACT.
"Thermodynamics provided me with a strong understanding of the principles behind the products that ACT manufactures," he said. "I had actually taken thermo before I started at ACT for my first co-op. So the material was still fresh in my mind, and seeing the connection from the classroom to the real-world application was a significant 'a-ha' moment for me. I really enjoyed thermodynamics, and it added a whole other layer of enjoyment to my work."
"And then, since starting this second co-op, Machine Design opened my eyes to how to design efficiently and effectively. The majority of my projects at work involve redesigning or improving the different stages of our production line to increase our product output. Since taking Machine Design, my designs from my current co-op compared to my first co-op are more cost-effective, streamlined, and resourceful."
The Impact of Engineering Expertise
Thanks to his time at ACT, Aidan has been delving deeper into what engineering work in the aerospace industry looks like. He is now thinking about getting a master’s degree in aerospace once he completes his upcoming final year at York College. His coworkers are especially excited for him, not only offering encouragement but also helping him network and make connections that will be helpful in the process.
“Even at work, they support it, and they’re excited for me, which is nice,” said Aidan.
“Aidan is a great addition to the team here at ACT,” said Jeffers, who also acts as Aidan’s supervisor. “Always eager to learn and willing to be hands-on with manufacturing. He picks up on new topics quickly, asks questions, and meshes well with our workplace. Throughout his two co-ops here, he’s grown a lot. From learning our complex manufacturing process and what we do day to day, to being asked to complete a project and needing very minimal guidance to find and execute a solution.”
As a result of his experience, Aidan also learned the importance of communicating with coworkers, clients, and suppliers, as well as completing work independently. Networking is also vital, both when seeking a job and actively working in the engineering field.
“Definitely network,” he said. “It is a big thing in engineering, and it definitely helps knowing people and talking with people and getting your name out there.”
Along with being impressed with Aidan’s work ethic and enthusiasm for improving his skills, Jeffers voiced that he can see York College’s influence in preparing students for the workforce. His own experience there had a positive impact on him, and now he recognizes how the College continues to uphold that legacy of preparedness for the students who ACT has taken on as interns.
“I genuinely enjoyed my time at York College and wouldn’t change a thing,” Jeffers said. “The York Engineering co-op program was extremely valuable in getting me real-world engineering experience and giving me an advantage when applying to jobs outside of college.”
