08/11/2026
Why did you choose civil engineering?
When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was create. Once I was old enough to be online, I started playing open-ended, sandbox games with an element of creation and design. I first heard about Civil Engineering when I was 12 years old in 7th Grade. I was taking my first AutoCAD course, and the teacher held me back after class one day to talk to me about Civil Engineering. After looking it over, I knew that it was what I've been looking to do for a long time. In High School, I went through an Engineering program that lasted 10th-12th grade. By the end, I was assisting the teacher in helping students with computer-aided design. Once in college, I was able to finally focus on a path in Civil Engineering that led me to where I am today.
What has been your favorite project or experience this summer?
My favorite project this summer has been a single-family dwelling in Virginia Beach. I was fortunate enough to be able to do this project from the ground up. Each day had a new lesson, and lots of mistakes were made along the way. This project led to a steep learning curve, and there were many variations that came and went during this internship. Looking at the site plans that were submitted to the city, I feel proud knowing how far both I and the site plans have come since I was first given the project.
What advice would you give future MSA interns?
My advice to any future intern at MSA is to write everything down. The first couple of weeks of the internship were packed with a lot of new information, techniques, and vocabulary that I had never experienced before. Writing down questions, answers, instructions, and even steps to Civil 3D techniques helped me throughout the summer. When asking questions, I found it better to physically print out the project and explain my question or predicament to an engineer instead of just asking verbally; furthermore, this allowed them to fully understand my question and mark up the project with potential solutions that I can bring back to my desk and reference later.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Since I started at Old Dominion University last fall, I have spent hours most weeks commuting. After this experience, I can lock in my answer: teleportation. By teleporting, I don't have to concern myself with traffic anymore, and I can go anywhere I want instantly. For my lunch break, I can grab a croissant from a bakery on the streets of Paris and be back in 30 minutes. That definitely beats Starbucks down the street!
