My STEP Signature Project was the completion of an internship this summer. I worked at a civil engineering design and consultancy firm called Arcadis, and my role as an intern was primarily to aid in the plan production process for transportation projects that our company was involved with.
After completing my summer internship, I discovered which specialization I want to work in full-time after graduating with my civil engineering degree. Throughout the summer, I got real hands-on experience in creating and designing the plans for road improvements in the state of Ohio. This included toll plaza improvements, roundabout design, and highway improvements. I worked with incredible individuals who not only helped me with questions I had in completing tasks, but also offered valuable insight about their time in the industry. I realized that everyone I worked with, both interns and full-time employees, are also people with lives outside of work and that absolutely changed my view of the working world. I also developed a better understanding of how to be productive while also taking time for myself throughout the day to improve my value as an intern, and therefore balance my own well-being with the needs of my supervisor and higher-ups.
A huge part of my transformation into a productive member of the workplace and as a working adult were the people I was lucky enough to work with. During my time with them, I realized that everyone I worked with also is on a continuous journey of professional discovery, and they were once in my shoes as an intern trying to figure out what they wanted to do with their career post-grad. Getting to create these relationships helped me feel more connected to my workplace and made it a lot easier for me to ask questions about work and life, which helped the idea of full-time become less scary to me.
Another major portion of my internship experience that led to a lot of personal growth for me was my role in helping with the design of road improvements. While working day-to-day on real projects that are in the process of being implemented, I realized that I love the transportation design field and want to continue on that track. We worked a lot on the design and production of roundabouts that are soon to be built after project submission, and I found the efficiency and safety of roundabouts fascinating, offering me another window into the possibilities of my field and what kinds of projects are out there.
The last part of my internship that really helped me realize what it means to be a functioning person in society was when I recognized the importance of balance. A lot of the people I worked with had a lot going on in their lives outside of work, and I saw how important it was for them to take breaks so they could be more productive. It is important to be passionate about what you accomplish in your career, but it is also so important to not let your career dominate who you are outside of work. Throughout the day, I would take small breaks to walk around the office, and I would also work from home some days if I thought I would get more done by having some extra time to rest. Outside of work, I made it a priority to exercise and take some leisure time for myself so I could be ready for the week and feel good about myself. I realized how important breaks and self-care are, because then you can be good to your coworkers just as you can be to yourself.
This transformation and period of growth is extremely valuable for my life. I feel as if I transformed in three ways: within my relationships with coworkers, as a working adult in my field, and also as someone who is a person in addition to an employee. In making relationships and connections with others working in the civil engineering field, I grew a lot personally and professionally because I was able to have full conversations with people who have been in the field a lot longer than I have, and I felt very comfortable doing it. I even formed some friendships along the way with interns who are close to my age and also about to enter the workforce. Also, I grew professionally because I was finally able to decide where I think I want my career path to lead, which is somewhere in the transportation design category. Finally, one of my biggest goals in life is to feel fulfilled both personally and in my career, and with this internship I fully understood the importance of balance to achieve this. I hope I will be able to carry this growth with me into the future, and that I continue to form valuable connections while also advancing my career post-grad. And of course, this STEP project taught me the importance of self-care in reaching these goals.
