The Intern Experience – Valerie
by Valerie Arruda
I am grateful that my first internship is with mma. The company is rich in history, while so rapidly growing and evolving their brand and the services offered. The company embraces their roots in Arlington, Texas, even providing a scavenger hunt in their welcome packet with spots all over the city. As a student at the University of Texas in Arlington who lives in heart of downtown, it was refreshing to know companies like mma contribute to the culture of Arlington and take so much pride in the city they are based in.
As a junior in civil engineering, it can be daunting to start working in a field you’re just being exposed to. Applying concepts I hadn’t yet learned, seeing the applications when all I’ve experienced are the concepts- it’s intimidating but all very rewarding. When the internship began in May, mma understood the lack of experience Madison and I had but let us delve into engineering projects and training right away. Within our first week, we got assigned projects allowing us to interact with the other engineers and project managers, and we went on a site tour of Texas Live! to see a project we’d both come to work on in the coming months. Throughout the summer, I have gotten to experience the planning, designing, and submittal processes of projects while applying concepts I’m being taught in my classes.
“I am grateful that my first internship is with mma.”
With less than three months at mma, I have already learned so much in the field and found a passion for the work I hadn’t experienced through textbooks and lectures. The engineers at mma are well rounded and knowledgeable, and it is inspiring to work to work alongside so many women in a field typically outnumbered by men. Civil engineering is such a creative and rewarding career, and working with landscape architects and surveyors brings perspective to how much goes into a single project. I have learned so much just this summer, and I am excited to continue my internship with mma in the fall.
