The Orange County Bridge |2| Engineering Program is a cohort-based learning community at Saddleback College, Santa Ana College, Cal State Fullerton & UC Irvine that focuses on increasing the participation of unrepresented minorities, women, and veterans in the field of engineering. The program will help participants explore careers in engineering and place them on an academic pathway to become engineers. Recently, UC Irvine B2E student, Nestor Loza had the opportunity to write about his internship experience with HDR Engineering Inc., in Irvine, CA.
“I was born and raised in Southern California. I attended Norwalk High School, which is where I developed the aspiration to become an engineer after excelling in my math and science courses. I remember reaching the conclusion that I would apply to UC Irvine as an environmental engineering major after learning in class about climate change, green technologies, renewable energy, and diminishing natural resources. Ultimately, I wanted to challenge myself to complete a challenging engineering education in order to obtain the skills needed to make a difference in my community, namely, through engineering.
Now in the summer prior to the last year of my environmental engineering education at UC Irvine, I am finally learning what it is like to be an actual engineer through the help of Bridge to Engineering. With the help of the Bridge to Engineering program I was able to get an internship at the Irvine office of HDR Engineering, Inc., where I continuously learn about how the actual engineering world works.
Throughout my summer internship, I have had the opportunity to assist HDR engineers, who have provided me with a great learning environment, with their work in the areas of industrial wastewater, stormwater runoff, and water supply and distribution. I have learned more about how different programs that I use in school, such as Microsoft Excel and AutoCAD, are used for actual engineering work. I am also looking forward to possibly getting involved with an HDR project researching potential green stormwater infrastructure for the city of Anaheim.
Now halfway through my summer internship, I am looking forward to learning more during my remaining time at HDR. I will be able to use what I have learned this summer to tackle my remaining academic challenges with a different perspective and greater confidence. Ultimately, this experience should prove to be invaluable in my effort to become a successful professional.”
For more information, visit http://www.ocbridge2engineering.com/.
Program made possible by funding from the Department of Labor and the City of Santa Ana. This program is an equal opportunity program. Auxiliary aids and service are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
