BBE students share their internship experiences

October 18, 2021

Graphic stating "BBE student internship reflections" with graphics depicting gears, buildings, a lab vial, a lightbulb, and a plant.

If you or your company has an interest in providing an internship, co-op, or other employment opportunity for
BBE students, please contact Ulrike Tschirner to find out how to get involved.

Raghav works in a lab wearing a white coat, safety goggles, and gloves while holding up a vile with yellow fluid in it.

Describe the work you did during your internship?

At Kimley Horn, I worked on a team, the Hydrology and Hydraulics which include Urban Storm water Modeling, design and planning including water quality management using BMPs, Solar Flood Study Analyses, Land and Storm water Permitting and Plans, Hydraulic Structures, Bridge Scour Analysis and Culvert Design, Dam and Levee Failure Analysis, and Floodplain Impact and Mitigation Analyses using FEMA and other sources. I had the opportunity to work on many projects related to Drainage Design, storm water drainage design for roadway projects using CAD and other software, Solar projects, Flood studies and design for solar projects in which GIS modeling, CAD deliverables and other intricacies, Majority Flood Study and Analyses, and 1D and 2D flood modeling and flood study designs using HEC-RAS and other software.

What was the most interesting or impactful part of the internship?

Going into this internship, I was interested in not only building my technical skills as an engineer with the different types of software used in the field, but building my communication and networking skills. Kimley Horn is a company that takes great efforts to not only integrate new and young engineers into their culture, but gives them the opportunity to grow as an engineer through individual and team based engagement. That could be through the use of new software or company lunches with higher up engineers. I found this incredibly impactful during my internship.

Not only did Kimley Horn have an incredible company culture in which it was an easy and friendly process for new hires to integrate into the company, but it has an incredible work/life balance. In addition, Kimley Horn fosters an incredible dynamic of inspiring and influential women in the field that felt truly impactful.

Did this internship give you insight into the kind of work you might pursue after graduation?

I was initially interested in working for Kimley Horn due to where my interests aligned. I am on Environmental and Ecological track of the Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering major, and as a result, Water Resources, Hydraulic and Hydrology Modeling, Sedimentation Analysis and Design in relation to water quality, Best Management Practices (BMPs), Erosion and Sediment Control, and Storm Water Quality Improvements were fields/disciplines that interested me.

As a result, this internship did give me an insight into the kind of work I wanted to pursue after graduation. In terms of the next step for myself, I am looking into full time opportunities from Kimley Horn after my senior year. A career goal in mind was to work more towards environmental engineering, as well as water resources or other disciplines of engineering in related ways. There are many opportunities I hope to take in the future, from enlisting in a leadership position, to developing myself as a well rounded engineer; having experience with various disciplines within the broad field of engineering and the Civil industries.

"Advice I would give to fellow students wanting to seek out an internship is keeping an open mind. Being open to different opportunities and new challenges is important when seeking an internship. In addition, having a goal of networking within your company, asking many questions, and staying engaged in any way is also important when seeking out an internship. Lastly, it is okay to not know everything."
- Treasure Agbonkhese

"I highly encourage you to apply to all internships, even the ones that might not seem interesting to you. The job could turn out to be something you love."
- Ethan Pickering

"I found this opportunity at the CSE Career Fair where I met my eventual Manager. If you have any interest in working with HB Fuller, I would love to put you in contact with someone in Analytical or Research & Development who could tell you more about upcoming opportunities."
- Maddi King, [email protected]

What was the most interesting or impactful part of the internship?

An interesting part of my internships was learning about the field of consulting firms. This involves chasing projects, maintaining good relationships with clients, writing proposals, winning projects, and then designing and implementing the projects. Through this process it becomes very evident that communication, good relationships, and so many other skills are important to being successful as an engineer at a company.

The first impactful part of my internship was making and giving a presentation of my experience to the entire office I worked in (this included the CEO and CFO of the company). This process helped me reflect on my growth over the summer, reflect on the goals I set with my supervisor at the start of the summer, and share with others all of the projects I was involved in. The second impactful part of my internship was the connections I made thanks to the fantastic work culture at AE2S. I got to meet and connect with people I never directly worked with through the company picnic, a volunteer event, over lunch, a panel discussion put together for the interns, and visits to construction sites.

"My advice for fellow students looking for internships is threefold. First, keep applying to jobs, interviewing for positions, and trying new avenues even if you are deadly sick of it. Never give up! Second, utilize the resources that the College of Science and Engineering provides you including, resume review, practice interviews, cover letter review, ect. It is important to get a second pair of trained eyes so you can give your best to employers. Third, look for an internship that will provide you with the opportunity to learn and that will excite your learning. There is SO much to learn when working with a company and it is important to value the growth the position will provide you."
- Alli Graper

Dept. of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering
612-625-5200
[email protected]

BBE North (Kaufert Laboratory)
2004 Folwell Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55108

BBE South (Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Building)
1390 Eckles Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55108

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