ABOUT ME

Hello, my name is Katie Austin and I’m currently a student at Penn State studying Civil Engineering with an emphasis in structures. Throughout my time at Penn State, I’ve had the opportunity to have two summer internships where I learned skills to help me grow as a Civil Engineer. During my first internship I was exposed to estimating and project management. I was able to get hands-on learning experience in both the office and the field while working with some of the best mentors. At my second internship, I had the chance to learn design using AutoCAD Civil 3D. During this time, I developed designs for land development projects such as solar fields and residential housing. I also had the chance to become familiar with Revit while working in the structural department. Within Revit, I made edits to plans and created new buildings. As a student at Penn State, I was able to become a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Penn State Student Chapter and become a national member. By participating in ASCE at Penn State I made relationships through networking with my fellow Civil Engineers that will last a lifetime.

As a senior, I have thought a lot about my future and where I want to be after I graduate. For me, home is very important, so I want to find a job that is within reasonable range of my hometown in Upstate New York. I want to find a company that values the work of their engineers as an entry-level engineer. I know my first couple of years will consist of hard work and late nights in order to get projects done before their deadline. During this time, having a company that recognizes my hard work and values the effort I am putting into my work will be crucial for me to stay at their firm. As of right now, I will be willing to take a job in either land development or structures, although as my career progresses and I gain experience, I would like to be in a spot that makes me the happiest. I might not know what discipline of Civil Engineering that is right now, but within five years I want to be settled down in one or the other. In addition, after being EIT certified this summer the importance of working under a Professional Engineer for the first five years of my career is crucial to me getting my Professional Engineer Licensure. Five years from now, I hope to feel confident enough in my ability as a Civil Engineer where I can be preparing to take my PE Exam. I hope to have worked on many different projects, worked with many different people, and worked on projects in different areas of New York in order to get as much experience as I can for my test. After getting my PE license, I would like to continue working on projects and signing them off as my own. After about 15 years into my career, I hope to see myself working for the same company I start with or only moving jobs once. Depending on how long I have been at the company 15 years into my career, I want to start taking on more responsibilities by becoming more involved in the company I am working for. It is important to me to not only work for a company but invest in my company. I am not sure exactly what that will look like, but I am positive that I want to try to give back to my company not just as an employee, but someone who really cares about the place they work for. I want to help my company find ways to increase productivity and happiness within the work environment. Although taking on more responsibilities might be challenging as a Professional Engineer, I would never let my extra involvement in my company get in the way of the job I was hired to do. I am passionate about being an engineer and maintaining safety with my designs, therefore I would never take on more than I can handle. Overall, I want my future to consist of hard work as a Civil Engineer and dedication to the company I work for.

 

Image Citation: The Building Envelope, https://negativespace.co/building-perspective-city-day/