Recorded underground at the University of Arizona's San Javier Underground Mining Laboratory during the 48th Annual Intercollegiate Mining Games, this episode of Mining Minds features Robbie Yordt, a systems engineering student building a path into mining engineering.

Robbie grew up in San Diego with a love for the outdoors, Scouts and hands-on learning. He entered college interested in aerospace and mechanical engineering, but an invitation to an SME student meeting - and the welcoming mining community he found there - changed the direction of his education and career.

He shares what attracted him to mining, including the people, the scale of the work and the industry's commitment to safety. Robbie also explains his student-operations role at San Javier, his crushed-stone internship experience in Southern California and his upcoming underground engineering internship with Redpath at South32's Hermosa project.

· How SME and MineXchange introduced Robbie to the mining industry

· Why exposure can matter more than experience for the next generation

· The importance of authentic mining outreach and storytelling

· Hands-on student learning inside the San Javier underground laboratory

· What systems engineering can contribute to mining operations and equipment

· Robbie's goals for a career built around good people, meaningful work and time outdoors

YouTube- https://youtu.be/qza7xFpIKNU

Safety First Training & Consulting - https://safetyfirstelko.com

Walsh Reclamation, Inc. - https://walshreclamationinc.com

Motor Mission Machine & Radiator - https://www.motormission.com

Learn more about Mining Minds and explore additional episodes at https://miningmindsllc.com.

Content advisory: This episode contains explicit language. Listener discretion is advised.

Chapter titles and short notes

00:00 Cold Open: Learning Through Failure

Robbie discusses making mistakes safely while gaining hands-on experience.

01:45 Meet Robbie Yordt

Meet the systems engineering student building his future in mining engineering.

03:09 San Diego Roots and the Outdoors

Robbie shares how Scouts, camping and outdoor leadership shaped his interests.

06:02 From Aerospace to Mining

An SME student meeting and MineXchange changed Robbie's career direction.

08:21 Mining's People, Scale and Safety

The camaraderie, equipment and safety culture that attracted Robbie to mining.

15:36 Reaching the Next Generation

Why students need accessible opportunities to explore mining at their own pace.

17:04 Marketing Mining Authentically

Using real people, images and stories to introduce mining without forcing the message.

23:25 Internships and the Hermosa Project

Robbie discusses crushed-stone operations and his upcoming Redpath internship.

25:54 Student Operations at San Javier

Hands-on learning, student access and underground projects at the laboratory.

31:26 Systems Engineering and Robbie's Future

Robbie explains systems engineering and shares his equipment interests and career goals.