Caroline Norris is a senior in Mechanical Engineering and an ME Student Apprentice. She interned during summer 2021 with the RockSol Consulting Group.
Where are you working this summer and what made them stand out in your internship search?
This summer I have been working at RockSol Consulting Group! I knew that I wanted to pursue an internship with RockSol largely because of the company culture. Every employee I talked to raved about the great people they get to work with. During my interview, the president made sure I knew that my internship would be largely influenced by my interests; essentially I could choose what projects I would be working on. I knew that RockSol would take great care of me and I would be able to tailor my experience to my interests.
What kinds of projects have you had a chance to work on over the summer?
I have been placed on the Environmental Team on RockSol's I25 South Gap project. The Environmental Team is mainly in charge of erosion control; essentially, our job is to ensure all of our construction materials and sediment stays on our project and doesn't discharge onto the private or state property. We conduct inspections of the job site and communicate when our erosion control measures need to be fixed or replaced. My day-to-day consists of inspecting the jobsite and monitoring our subcontractors' work!
Was there a particular problem or challenge that really pushed your engineering skills?
There has been a problem area on our project that continuously erodes and discharges off of the project, so we have had to come up with creative erosion control measures to implement in this area. Our consulting team has had to debate the best way to control the severe erosion in this area while being cognizant of budget and labor. This has pushed my problem-solving skills as well as an my understanding of how land erodes to try to help come up with ways to aid this area.
What advice do you have for other students interested in working or interning in a related field?
Relationships with coworkers are huge. It is important to work with everyone and do your best to build quality relationships with people you are working with. You'll be surprised how much easier it makes both yours and their jobs!