Engineering
April 6, 2020
As a participant in the Civil Engineering Cooperative Program (CECOP), Erin McConville spent the last 6 months working in the City of Forest Grove’s engineering department.
“During my internship, I assisted engineering staff with eight development projects that were under construction. I saw the construction of larger projects, including a new subdivision and a stream restoration project, and smaller projects, like repairs on sewer and water lines,” McConville said. “Being able to visit all sorts of projects and work sites was one of the best parts of the internship!”
One of McConville’s main internship projects was to help evaluate the city’s curb ramps and sidewalks to ensure they were accessible. “As a part of this project, I developed a standardized process for data collection using a GPS device and uploaded all of the data into an ArcGIS map,” McConville said.
McConville worked closely with a mentor at the City of Forest Grove, who provided her guidance during her internship.
“Not only did my mentor give me feedback about my work, but he also encouraged me to visit projects within other jurisdictions and to attend meetings for different professional organizations,” McConville said.
In the CECOP program, students are placed in two six-month long internships while they complete their undergraduate degree.
“I was interested in doing the CECOP program because of the internship placements; one with a public company and one with a private company. Having the experience in both types of companies will help me understand how they both operate and what kind of work I want to do in the future.”
Next year, McConville will complete a second internship through CECOP.
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