BY GUS MORGAN

“Can I bring my dogs?”

Kerry Harris needed to know.

After all, his rescue dogs, Blossom and Nala, were his family, so the thought of having to leave them behind gave him pause.

“You can bring your dogs,” said a welcoming Shree Vikas, manager, Market Intelligence & Business Analysis, assuring Kerry during a career fair held for the Sourcing & Procurement Organization at University of Houston that leaving them in Houston wouldn’t be necessary if he were to join ConocoPhillips for a 10-week summer internship in Alaska, working for Supply Chain. 

“When Shree said I could bring them, I was all in,” said the University of Houston Supply Chain Management major, excited about the pending opportunity to learn more about the company's Supply Chain operations and the energy industry.

As part of the U.S. Summer Internship Program, university students take on challenging assignments in the company’s offices in Anchorage, Bartlesville, Dickinson, Houston, Kenedy and Midland. It’s a chance for them to enhance their skills, expand their networks and gain valuable work experience.

In the coming weeks, Kerry interviewed for the internship, and a week later he got his official invitation to join ConocoPhillips, becoming one of its 130 U.S. interns for 2023.

An epic road trip results in fame

Kerry knew flying to Anchorage would be the easier option, the logical choice.

But Kerry recognized the road-trip opportunity at hand, a grand adventure that would not only show just how serious he was about the job but enable him to put his logistical skills to the test.

“I was like, ‘OK, let me map this out,’” said Kerry, who turned to Google Maps, looking at every route possible, hungry for data, mainly worried about the lack of information on Canadian road conditions.

Kerry, who inherited his father’s passion for logistics, began gathering knowledge from anyone who might know the best way to make the safest drive, including an Alaskan outfitter at a Houston boat show, Canadian authorities and U.S. Border Patrol officials.

Safety was paramount. Kerry scrutinized every minute detail, every variable, analyzing each step of the way. 

“I put in a substantial amount of time and effort into planning this trip out. Something as small as paying attention to the mileage. I would get in my truck every time I filled up at home and calculate the average so I could use that as a factor for the trip."

Two months later, Kerry, Blossom and Nala piled into his truck, an F-150 clad in new all-terrain tires, and rolled out of Tomball, Texas, on May 12 heading towards Anchorage.

The seven-day journey took Kerry and his dogs through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, then up into Canada, the trio traversing British Columbia and Yukon Territory. The three of them rolled safely into Anchorage before lunch on May 18, their 4,631-mile journey complete. 

For Kerry, the trip symbolized the road less traveled, a way to relish the moment, a celebration of the here and now.

“I don’t regret the drive at all. It showed I was committed to this opportunity, and that’s how I look at it. I saw an opportunity that presented itself, that ConocoPhillips gave me, and I was like, ‘you know what, I’ll just go all in.’ I'm very versatile. I'll go anywhere I need to go for work.”

Kerry’s epic journey did not go unnoticed by his colleagues, his ambitious mentality a source of inspiration. Known as "the intern who drove to Alaska," Kerry's go-getter reputation preceded him.

Such fame brought questions, the most prevalent being: “Why did you do it?”

“I tell them, ‘Why not?’ I’m big on experiences. I love growth and being challenged, whether by myself or others."

Kerry's final presentation to management, a request for proposal involving the delivery and onsite storage of proppant on the North Slope, started with a safety moment on a topic from which he could speak from experience: driving long distances. 

"At the end of the day, it's all about doing things safely," he said. "I'm appreciative of everyone at ConocoPhillips for the opportunities and support they've given me this summer."

For Kerry, success is a journey, not a destination. This is especially true if you can bring your dogs.