Interns Evolve

Going into this internship, I was a little nervous as I had no prior experience with mechanical design. However, I quickly learned that engineers need many skills including problem-solving, creativity, and determination, as well as effective communication and collaboration whether with the architect, contractor, or other members of the team. I have been fortunate to work with Amanda on the New-York Historical Society renovation. I’ve helped with sizing plenum boxes and placing them in Revit (a program I learned to navigate this summer). I have replied to comments on the floor plans, bubbled changes and tagged them on the floor plans, and calculated how many more fire smoke dampers are needed for new fire rated walls. In addition to Revit, I learned how to use other new programs like AcroPlot Matrix and Bluebeam which will be useful as I continue my schooling. 

I have enjoyed working at Altieri because I have worked on projects at well-known places and have seen my contributions manifest in real life. I’m incredibly thankful for everyone’s, especially Amanda’s, guidance throughout the summer and for the positive experience. I’ve met amazing engineers who have been quick to answer questions and provide support at any given moment. I am encouraged to continue to pursue a career in engineering.

I was the first recipient of the John L. Altieri Memorial Scholarship in 2022. I interned at Altieri after my freshman year at the University of Connecticut and returned this summer to build on the foundation I had established in 2023. This summer I was not assigned to a particular studio like I was last year. Instead, I helped wherever help was needed. Because of this, I was exposed to many unique projects and different workstyles. Every person I worked with taught me something new, ranging from a concept on electrical systems to a small shortcut in Autodesk Revit. The direct guidance I received from multiple mentors allowed me to become more confident and comfortable in my work. This internship showed me the importance of experience in the engineering field; I know I can read all the textbooks in the world, but arguably the most valuable part of learning is how theories apply to real world applications. It also taught me the value of teamwork and collaboration. I still keep in touch with the interns from last year and even introduced my older brother, Mickey, to the firm! An electrical engineer, Mickey, is now working in Altieri’s Boston office. We are both grateful to be part of the Altieri community.

As a sophomore in college, I didn’t really know what I wanted to go into. After pursuing Computer Science for a bit and not enjoying it, I looked closely at what I do enjoy doing. I really liked problem-solving and CAD, so I joined my school’s engineering program. I was still unsure of myself at the time and was afraid that I wouldn’t enjoy engineering either, so I sought to find some sort of engineering internship or engineering-adjacent job so I could determine if this is the career that I want to pursue. At the time, I happened to meet some of Altieri’s engineers from the Women in Engineering group through an event set up through my school where they came and spoke with us about the scope of their work. I took the opportunity to ask them if they were looking for interns, and it turns out that they were! Since starting at Altieri, I’ve learned a lot about the engineering industry and have enjoyed learning about aspects of architecture, MEPF, and construction. The Altieri staff have really helped me determine what I want to pursue career-wise, and I can’t thank them enough for their guidance in the right direction and acceptance into their amazing workplace. 

My internship at Altieri was satisfying. Over the course of my stay, the escalation of my responsibilities increased at an appropriate rate to properly engage me. This training appeared to be even equivalent to what a fresh graduate could experience as a new hire, which made my value to the team all the more apparent to me. With regard to the work culture, I appreciated the cooperative environment that Altieri has for its teams. During departmental meetings, I’ve witnessed people asking for assistance from other teams or asking if they could assist another team. This shows a shared interest in ensuring the firm and each employee are able to succeed. Overall, my internship last year was very positive which contributed to my decision to return here after graduation.