Andrew Jefferies, Business and Administration Services Summer Intern

I was born in Tucson, Arizona, to Mike and Carrie Jefferies. My life is kept in constant chaos and fun due to my three younger sisters – Audrey, Abbey, and Ashley. When I was seven years old, my family moved from Arizona to Fort Worth because my dad had been hired here at Pointwise, Inc! The Crowley Independent School District was my home from that point on through high school, and I really enjoyed my experiences there. Upon graduating, I attended a year of college at Oklahoma City University and absolutely loved it. I then left to serve a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Spokane, Washington.

My mission just ended in June of this year, and I immediately began working as a summer intern here at Pointwise, Inc. I take care of scanning and shredding older, important documents in addition to any other needs that arise – addressing envelopes, moving and unpacking boxes, cleaning up after lunches, etc. On average, I shred about seven trash bags full of paper every week!

I’m very familiar with Pointwise, Inc. due to the fact that both of my parents also work here. Coming to work here upon returning from my mission was a thrilling prospect and a huge blessing. It has been an amazing opportunity to work in such a wonderful environment and to see some of the inner workings of an established business.

Most of my life has been devoted to my passions for singing and acting. Later this month, I’ll be transferring to Brigham Young University to study musical theatre. Working at Pointwise, Inc. this summer is assisting me in following my dream.

• Location: Fort Worth, TX
• Current position: Business and Administrative Services Intern
• Current computer: Dell Precision M4400 laptop – “Yeats”
• One word that best describes how you work: Focused

What software or tools do you use every day?

In addition to my laptop, on a daily basis I use the Canon Copier/Printer iRC3480 nicknamed “Happy” and the Fellowes 99ci Shredder. On my laptop I use the program Outlook to access my email and the instant messaging program Spark to communicate with my co-workers.

What does your workspace look like?

Andrew’s current workspace

Clean and organized! I have two desks that fit in the corner of the office, which I attempt to keep pretty spotless. The shredder sits behind my desk for easy access. I also have a short filing cabinet to the left of my desk to help keep my workspace organized.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently going through the archive of old payroll and 401(k) records, making sure that they have all been copied digitally using the scanner, organizing those files on the computer, and then shredding the hard copies. It may sound simple, but it certainly is time-consuming!

What would you say is your specialty at Pointwise?

My specialty at Pointwise is following orders. I’m not very experienced in the Business and Administrative Services side of a company, and I have zero experience with engineering computer software. This summer I’ve learned to take notes and closely follow the directions I’m given in order to make others’ jobs less difficult.

Any tips, tricks, or advice for our users?

Anyone who has interacted with me while working at Pointwise, Inc. knows that I am almost constantly listening to music as I work. That’s what I do to keep myself entertained and happy! Spotify has become my best friend. So listen to music while you mesh.

What project are you most proud of and why?

At this point, I’m most proud of my work cleaning up and organizing the many boxes of records and books on the shelves in the office. It’s much easier to find records now, and the shelves look very clean and professional.

Also my manager, Rose Mary Crager, and I worked really hard in order to make sure that all of the information for our assets matched across all of our books. That project took a lot out of me, but we both felt pretty accomplished once it was completed.

 Have you recently read any books or articles we should know about?

If I’m completely honest, I haven’t read anything related to meshing, but if you’re interested in reading about religion or musical theatre, I have some wonderful websites that I use frequently for information and inspiration – lds.org and broadway.com!

What do you do when you’re not surrounded by engineers making meshes?

Like I mentioned earlier, my greatest passion is musical theatre – and nearly everything I do is geared towards that. Listening to music, singing, playing the piano, and acting in shows are some of my favorite pastimes. Starting in high school, I became very involved in the theatre program and the productions they put on. Eventually I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in that field, and chose to attend Oklahoma City University for a year due to their acclaimed program. In all, I’ve performed in eight musicals, eight plays, and three operas. I also love spending time with my family and going to church.

What is some of the best advice you’ve received?

Dr. David Herendeen, one of my directors at Oklahoma City University, would often say to his students, “It isn’t your fault, but it is your problem. So what are you going to do?” I’ve found that as I focus more on what I can do, instead of what’s happened to me, I’m able to accomplish much more.

If you had to pick a place to have dinner, where would you go?

Panera Bread sounds really great right now. I would probably get a sandwich and salad combo – something delicious that won’t make me feel super guilty after eating it!