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Civil and Environmental Engineering Internship Story: HDR

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Lacy Mehaffey

Civil and Environmental Engineering

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

I worked for HDR, an international engineering, architecture, and consulting company, and I had the opportunity to work in their Mobile, Alabama office!

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 have had a strong connection with HDR since high school because I'm from Omaha, where the company is headquartered. Last summer, I had the opportunity to job shadow there for a week, which gave me a great look into the company and its culture. When internship recruiting season came around, I met the HDR team again at a career fair, where I was able to build on that connection. That conversation led to an interview and, ultimately, my internship offer!

What was the application process like?

The application process was actually very easy! I met my now-supervisor at Auburn's Engineering Career Fair and handed him my resume. A few days later, I received a phone call to schedule an interview and learn more about the internship. After the interview, I received a follow-up email with my official offer. Overall, the process was straightforward and moved pretty quickly!

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?

During my internship, I assisted with projects for the Alabama Department of Transportation. As a bridge intern, I was part of the team responsible for completing monthly bridge inspections. I had the opportunity to participate in both the field inspections and the reporting process afterward, which gave me a great understanding of the full inspection workflow.
One of the things I learned the most from was seeing how everything I had been learning in class was applied in the real world. I also gained a lot of hands-on experience, significantly improved my CAD skills, and learned so much from the engineers I worked alongside. Overall, I had an absolute blast and came away with a much better understanding of what a career in bridge engineering looks like!

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

The experience I gained during my internship is truly invaluable. It gave me a much better understanding of what to expect when entering the professional world and helped me build confidence in my technical and professional skills. Beyond that, it gave me a sense of community and belonging. The people at HDR made me feel welcomed from day one and showed me what a supportive workplace can look like.
As sad as I'll be to one day leave Auburn, my internship made me realize that I'm just as excited for the road ahead. It gave me confidence in my abilities, helped me grow as both an engineer and a professional, and made the transition from college to a full-time career feel much more exciting than intimidating.

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?

My Statics class was probably the course that made the biggest impact during my internship. My supervisor described bridge design as being almost entirely based on statics, which was exciting to see because I was able to apply concepts I had learned in class to real-world projects.
My Surveying class at Auburn also prepared me well by giving me hands-on field experience that became very useful throughout the summer. I was already familiar with data collection practices and the importance of field safety, which helped me feel more comfortable during inspections. Overall, the coursework I have completed at Auburn gave me a strong foundation and helped me feel prepared to contribute during my internship.