Students Success Stories :

Allison Carey
Major: Fire Protection Engineering
Employer: Hughes Associates, Inc.
Location: Baltimore, MD

Why did you choose to participate in a co-op/internship?
A co-op/ internship is an excellent way to gain real world experience while in school. I discovered how much I truly love my major. It also opens the doors for research and full time jobs when I graduate.

I especially enjoyed working at Hughes Associates, Inc. Some companies only focus on one aspect of fire protection, but HAI really participates and studies all facets of fire protection engineering. HAI is also an amazing resource. With offices all over the USA, I can live anywhere and still work for the same company. The people I work with are so friendly, and really understand that an internship is an opportunity to learn and grow.

How has this experience enhanced your academic experience and/or shaped
your career goals?

It is one thing to sit and class and learn, but an internship allowed me
to apply the classroom material to the real world. I find my education so
much more valuable now that I have begun to utilize it. I have even decided
to pursue a Master's degree in Fire Protection Engineering and earn my
Professional Engineering Licensure. If I had never participated in an internship, I would not appreciate all the opportunities presented to me.

Describe any exciting/challenging projects you've worked on at your
co-op/internship.

I was given the opportunity to work in the lab space. This included
everything from designing and constructing measurement devices to conducting
room fires experiments. One exciting project was when I had to design an
apparatus to measure the heat flux of rocket propellant seconds before it
ignited.

What advice, if any, would you give to other engineering students seeking a co-op or internship?

Keep an open mind. You never know if an internship that sounds just "OK"
on paper will turn out to be your dream job. Internships let you get a
sense of future employment, so test the waters to see what will make you
truly happy.