Biosystems Engineering Internship Story: Mattie Brennan

Mattie Brennan

Biosystems Engineering

What company did you intern with and where are they located?

I worked for Archer Western Construction. I worked out of Atlanta however we are a member of the Walsh Group based out of Chicago.

How did you identify and apply for your internship? Are there any specific resources you used to find the opportunity (i.e. Handshake, career fairs, other recruitment events)?

I attended the Biosystems/Civil Engineering career fair in the fall of 2023 and I gave them my elevator pitch. The recruiter and I had a great conversation and I was invited back for an interview the next morning.

What was the application process like?

Following the career fair interview, I was invited to one of their largest sites in Atlanta. I was with a group of around 5 others, and we ended up doing group interviews. I was then offered an internship position.

Tell us about your internship experience. What types of tasks and projects did you engage in? Was there a particular project or part of the experience you learned the most from?

 I was assigned an Intern-Project Engineer position at the Fowler Reclamation Water Facility. This was a relatively small project so there was one project engineer and one project manager. Archer Western Construction was responsible for expanding the facility. I specifically worked on the signage for the site. This means that I was responsible for analyzing what new pipes, machinery, and chemicals were brought into the facility. For example, there were pipe wraps needed that said “Citric Acid” in the expansion of the facility. In addition to signage being my main scope, I assisted with writing submittals, pricing out proposal change orders, supervising concrete pours, and payment applications for subcontractors.

In what ways did this internship help you prepare for your next destination after Auburn?

Statics and Mechanics of Materials were the two classes I used the most often. It was important to examine forces and pressure on different concrete mixes and tanks. In addition, since I was working on a water reclamation facility, I needed to understand hydraulic transport through pipes. I actually found myself opening through old notes to refresh my memory on specific concepts.

In what ways did your coursework or other experiences at Auburn prepare you for your internships? Are there specific topics or skills you learned from classes that you put into practice on the job?

Some testing I did in my general chemistry classes was similar. It was cool to see formulas and theories I learned in gen chem and thermodynamics actually in the practice in the processes of the chemical plant

Do you have any advice for other students looking for internships like yours?

I would highly recommend career fairs! I went in with a few companies in mind and Archer Western was not even on my original list. I had no idea that construction was where I wanted to be. It ended up being a phenomenal
experience.

I would also suggest having an open mind about career opportunities. I saw an internship as an opportunity to try different careers. I did not think that construction would be my thing, but I did not know until I tried it. Little did I know I would be challenged and excited to attend work every day. I cannot imagine what career I might be in if I did not stumble across this experience!