The ENR Scholar Alumni that I had the opportunity to interview was Brittnee Halpin. Brittnee graduated from The Ohio State University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering and a minor in international studies. She continued living in Ohio for another two years working at Gresham Smith as a full-time engineering consultant, where she was previously interning before graduation. In 2015, Brittnee moved to Denver, Colorado to pursue graduate school. She is currently attending Colorado School of Mines full time for her PhD, researching in stream restoration. She is set to graduate in either December of next year or May in 2022, and in the future, she might try to become a professor.

After speaking with Brittnee, I realized I have a lot yet to learn past college and about the real world. She was able to give many tips and information on finishing undergrad, the job life, interviewing, and going into graduate school. To start, she reassured me that college gets easier after the first two years. Maybe not “easier,” but more tolerable because you start to learn more stuff related to your major. Of course, I had heard that from everyone but hearing it from her made it sit different. She then went on to say that work experience is very important. Whether it is through internships or co-ops, having experiences as a student is a great way to build your resume. Hearing about her personal experiences in internships made the general statement of “get experience in the industry” sound a lot more feasible. When it comes to interviews, Brittnee explained how important it is to be yourself and have confidence in what you know. She mentioned that an interview “is not a test” and that the potential employers just want to know about you and what you have done to get to that point. Moving on to education beyond undergraduate, she mentioned something that I had not quite put together, which was to take time off and get a job in the real world for a few years. Get adjusted and make sure within yourself that it is something you really want to pursue, because the amount of work you must put into it is very extensive. As a sidenote, she mentioned that an engineer should never have to pay for their own higher degree, as the company should pay for it if they want you to have it.

For advice that I will carry through my time at Ohio State, there are a few good tips Brittnee mentioned. The first being to advocate for what is best for myself and set boundaries for how much I commit to do. She explained how this is one of the most important things someone can do for themselves, as you are the only one who knows your own limits. The next lesson is to accept “good enough.” The importance of this came from paying too close attention to minor details and missing the bigger picture, especially in research. And finally, what should be obvious is the need to look out for your own mental health and surround yourself with people who care about you. Being in a friendly and welcoming environment is crucial to having a quality life, especially in a world like today.

Thank you, Brittnee, for giving great advice I will remember for a very long time.