This Spring I decided to use my STEP Signature Project to help me through my part-time internship. I began working with CESO as an intern in June of 2020, and I continued working with them part-time when school started again in August. I used the STEP funds to help me pay for essential expenses such as food, gas, and professional attire.

My internship has truly been a transformational experience from the beginning. When I started in June, I barely knew how to use AutoCAD Civil 3D, which is a widely used Civil Engineering program. Now that I have been working at CESO for over 10 months, I have become very comfortable with the program. I use it almost every day I work, and I seldom need to ask for help from my coworkers to figure out how to create a design or solve a problem in the program. I have also developed an understanding of the site development process. While this is different depending on where the project is located, I have worked on numerous projects and come to know the common outline that is typical in many locations. During my time with CESO, I also gained a familiarity with the codes and regulations projects must follow. Again, these do change depending on jurisdictions, but I can now typically navigate to and find the necessary codes that are needed for the projects I work on. There is much more that I have learned while at CESO, but these are three broad categories that can encompass the work I have done.

While those were mostly professional transformations, my internship has also had lasting personal impacts on me. Throughout my time, I have become fairly close with several of my coworkers. These connections have made the work I do much more enjoyable. While these are personal connections, it has also expanded my professional network and could potentially lead to more opportunities in my future. I also now feel very comfortable in a professional environment and feel that I personally fit well into it. I can see myself having a fulfilling career in a workplace like CESO. The internship has also impacted me personally because CESO is devoted to volunteering and making an impact in our community. The ideals CESO practices has motivated me to stay involved with my community and to give back whenever I can. I have truly transformed into a much more experienced and better engineer and person through my internship.

There are many factors that helped the transformations I discussed above become possible. One of the main factors was the work I was exposed to. When I first started, I was slowly exposed to new concepts and parts of the field that I would need to learn. Over time, I developed a good understanding of these. I continued to receive more challenging assignments that deepened my understanding of the engineering field. Now, I feel comfortable accomplishing many of the tasks I receive and am able to provide more of an insight on the projects.

Another large factor is the relationships with my coworkers that I built. I have worked especially close with two of them. They both helped me throughout my internship to ensure I was understanding the work. They guided me through examples and showed me how to apply them to the projects I would work on. These coworkers also made the work more enjoyable because we were able to develop more of a personal connection and entertain each other throughout the day.

Volunteering while at work was another transformational aspect of my internship. One day while working, the office took a break to pack backpacks full of school supplies to give to less fortunate children around Christmas. We also took a day out of the office to help construct a house with Habitat for Humanities. These experiences proved to me that CESO was a company built on good ideals and that I would be proud to work for them.

This internship had a huge impact on my professional goals because I have been offered a full-time position. I will be starting in May after graduation and continuing to work with the same department and people I am with now. This internship has given me a huge head start in the company because I do not need to go through the onboarding process, and I am already familiar with the common procedures of the work. The STEP program has helped me continue this transformational experience and allowed me to focus more on my academics and career without stressing about paying for my expenses.