Intern to Design Engineer: Lilly Kieckhafer
At Isthmus, our Internship Program and Early Career Development focuses on hands-on and real-world opportunities to learn, discover, and grow. We offer our interns and emerging professionals interesting project work, regular in-house training and information sessions, and personal mentorship and support. Through dynamic collaboration across our project delivery teams, we support exploration across various areas of specialty. Our goal is to support our early career professionals in finding their passion, niche, and what work is most meaningful to them.
We hire enthusiastic and motivated entry-level Design Engineers year-round. Some of our team members came to Isthmus post-graduation and others after a first position somewhere else. Many have started at Isthmus as summer interns which often leads to a part-time school year extension, and a full-time position upon graduation. Design Engineer, Lilly Kieckhafer followed this path over the past year and a half.
At this time last year, Lilly was a senior at the University of St. Thomas looking ahead to her Thanksgiving break after getting through mid-terms. She was busy juggling college life, classes, and her part-time internship at Isthmus. Now a full-time Design Engineer on our Roadway team, we checked in with Lilly to see what the transition from student and intern to full-time engineer has been like.
This fall was your first time not going back to school. How was that transition for you?
The transition was not as hard as I expected, but it did feel weird not going back to school. It is nice having a more consistent schedule compared to being in school.
What do you miss about being a student?
One thing I miss about being a student is living close to my friends and my college campus. It was so nice being within walking distance to almost everything I needed.
What don’t you miss about being a student?
The thing that I miss the least about being a student is the homework and lack of sleep. It’s nice to not have to worry about working in the evenings and staying up late to finish assignments.
What is different about being a Design Engineer at Isthmus rather than being an Intern?
One of the biggest differences is that I am given a bit more responsibility with the tasks I am working on. My internship prepared me well and gave me a good idea of what to expect after graduation.
What projects are you currently working on and what kind of tasks are you performing?
The main project I am working on right now is Hwy 169. I am supporting the design and working on plan sheet set up for utility and ADA plans.
What projects and/or types of tasks do you find most interesting, meaningful, and/or rewarding?
The projects I find the most rewarding are the ones I work on over a longer period of time. It is so interesting to see the progression of the projects I am working on, and how some things change or stay the same within a project.
What project work are you most proud of?
I think what I am most proud of is working on typical sections for Hwy 218 and Hwy 22. The Hwy 218 typical sections are one of the first things I worked on when I first started as an intern, and it is cool to look back and see the progress I’ve made and how much I have learned.
What new things have you learned since becoming a Design Engineer?
Everyone I have worked with has been very helpful in my learning process. One of the most recent things I have learned is how to work with OpenRoads Designer to generate plan sheets.
What type of project or task are you looking forward to working on in the future?
I am looking forward to working on more 3D design tasks in the future.
What do you appreciate about working at Isthmus?
I really appreciate the community atmosphere at Isthmus.
Do you have any advice or tips for current civil engineering students?
Go to your school’s career fair! I discovered Isthmus through UST’s reverse career fair and am very happy I did.
We are also very happy that Lilly discovered Isthmus. As a member of our Roadway team that focuses on Complete Streets projects, she continues to expand her experience and skills in roadway and ADA design. She is focused, thorough, and always willing to take on new tasks. Thank you for starting your career with #TeamIsthmus, Lilly!