Michaela Mueller ’20, a civil engineering major, did two summer internships during her time at UHart. During both, she gained insight, experience and skills. It was the summer before her senior year at UHart that one of those internships lead to her being hired in her field before graduation. Her experiences in and out of the classroom shaped her future career.
The first internship was after her sophomore year, where she worked with the Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) engineering department on a variety of projects. She found that internship by attending a Career Services Resume Bootcamp.
Then, in the summer of 2019, Mueller reached out to Ryan Biggs | Clark Davis to inquire about internship opportunities after reading an article about a project they had completed. She landed the internship and spent the summer working at the structural engineering firm in Clifton Park, NY. Her experiences at this internship lead to a full-time position. Come the fall, Michaela will be working as a design engineer 1 at Ryan Biggs I Clark Davis.
According to Michaela, “my classes prepared me with the basic structural analysis and engineering skills required for this position.” She also credits her involvement in the Women's Advancement Initiative LEAD Program, where she learned professional skills, such as networking and professional emailing. A combination of her studies and these skills gave her the confidence to initially reach out to Ryan Biggs I Clark Davis.
Aside from skills learned in classes and on the job, Michela participated in extracurricular activities that complimented her interest in engineering. She says that she “enjoyed all of the opportunities I had as the President of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). With SWE, I was able to make great friends, attend conferences, make professional connections, advocate for women in CETA, and more!”
Her favorite thing about her time at UHart is the people she encountered. Mueller says that the students, faculty and staff made all the difference. “I had many great professors in my classes, and lots of supportive faculty and staff in CETA,” she says.
Michaela encourages new students to “take full advantage of all the opportunities you have at UHart! Join groups, especially professional groups for your major, attend campus events, career events, and get to know you classmates! Most of all, be open to new experiences!”
Congratulations, Michaela!
Michaela Mueller ’20, BSCEI had the chance to work on a bunch of really cool and diverse projects. My favorite was the analysis and stabilization of a church bell tower, originally constructed in the 1880's!