Co-op Ambassador:
Ryan Williamson               

Major: Civil Engineering
Graduation Date: December 2017
Co-op Company:  Infrastructure Engineers

Why did you decide to co-op?
I wanted experience in the field so I could find the career path that suited me best. Also, having a little money in the pockets never hurt!  I chose Infrastructure over my other offer because of their interesting line of work – underwater bridge inspections.

What types of projects did you work on?
I worked on bridge inspection reports from mainly Tennessee and South Carolina. But occasionally I got to see work from other states, and sometimes I even got to travel with the team. I was able to apply my AutoCAD knowledge learned in a drafting class to my projects with Infrastructure Engineers. 

Describe your relationship with your mentor(s) and other colleagues:
I definitely love my mentor, Aaron! He answers my numerous questions as best as he can, whenever I have them. He’s a pleasure to be around and talk to – weather it is work related or not.

What was your most memorable moment on assignment?
The most memorable experience thus far has been with helping to design a production building for vertical and lateral loads. This made me feel more important as it became a driving force to push me further into my educational experiences.

What aspect of your co-op assignment do you feel will be the most beneficial after you graduate?
Learning how to juggle multiple things with deadlines (aka multitasking).  It has given me perspective and it has acted as a gateway into my career. I now know more of what I want to do with my career and how I want to set myself up for that!