My Civil Engineering Internship Experience

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How do you receive an internship offer? Most students obtain an offer after meeting and interviewing with companies at a career fair or by applying online and virtually interviewing. I obtained my first internship through a bit of an unconventional way. Although I received some offers via Purdue career fairs, they were all based in the Midwest and I wanted to return home to the East Coast for the summer. To obtain an internship on the East Coast, I researched other civil engineering companies and applied online through their websites and LinkedIn. I received many rejections from a variety of public and private firms until one day I thought I was just opening another rejection email. The email was from an architect in Delaware who informed me that he does not take interns, but that he will connect me with his son, who works at DelDOT and does hire civil engineering interns. Little did I know that the architect’s son was the head of the Bridge Design division at DelDOT (the Delaware Department of Transportation). After interviewing with DelDOT, I was offered an internship in Bridge Design and accepted.

Bridge Inspection
During my first day in the office, I learned two important things. After training in the morning, I met my mentor, Gus, who toured me around the office and introduced me to the members of Bridge Design. After meeting everyone, I looked to my left and then to my right—there was not a single female engineer in Bridge Design. The first thing I learned was that I would be representing female civil engineers. Next, once I discussed the layout of the internship with Gus, I realized that DelDOT was very intern-focused. DelDOT offered training for necessary CAD, sent me on rotations to understand other imperative aspects of engineering (such as surveying, bridge management, and construction), brought me on-site visits to bring the blueprints to life, and varied the projects I worked on to provide me with a wholistic view of the bridge design process. 

In the office, I worked on a variety of projects such as checking contractor blueprints, calculating quantities, creating property lines in MicroStation from deeds, and even designed a wingwall in CAD after reviewing soil borings and using Mathcad. Out of the office, I visited sites of bridges I reviewed in the office as well as those being inspected by the Bridge Management division. Additionally, I went on a rotation with survey, learned about how to set-up and use a total station as well as how the total station measured the data. This rotation has aided me in my Geomatics class (CE 203) this semester, especially since our first unit covers surveying and leveling.

Indian River Inlet Bridge Climb

The last site visit I took was to my favorite bridge in Delaware—the Indian River Inlet Bridge. As I pass each cable, I am amazed by the bridge’s breathtaking beauty and engineering marvel. Since DelDOT owns the bridge, we scheduled a time to climb the pylons. This climb consisted of three ladders which added up to over 200 feet. Although the climb left your legs burning, arms shaking, and lungs gasping for air, the view at the top made it well worth the hard work. Driving over the Indian River Inlet Bridge every day last summer served as a constant reminder that the field of civil engineering continues to evolve and value design and innovation as much as structural integrity and durability, which further developed my passion for civil and structural engineering.

 
The three months I spent interning with DelDOT this past summer have opened my eyes to a broader sense of civil engineering, taught me the extreme importance of clear communication, pushed me out to my comfort zone and knowledge area, and built up my confidence as a female engineer.

- JT Sarisky
Sophomore, Civil Engineering
WE Link Leadership Team

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