The Diversion Outlet Structure and tunnel portal at the Anderson Dam in Morgan Hill, CA (completed in 2025).

After three years studying civil engineering, I was selected for a summer internship with the Santa Clara Valley Water District in my hometown of San Jose, CA. My role was to assist senior engineers with the construction management and quality assurance of the Anderson Dam Tunnel Project. Weekly duties included inspecting construction and tunneling progress, attending management meetings about potential change orders, and assisting with scheduling multiple on-site contractors. Click on the link for a photo summary that details other roles, experiences, and learning outcomes from this 12-week Careers Pathway Program.

From May 2024 to February 2025, I worked full-time for a geotechnical engineering firm in the south Bay Area. My role was to provide background geological site characterization and design recommendations ahead of civil construction projects for roadways, bridges, railways, soil nail walls, and pile foundations. Job duties involved site visits, field borehole logging and sample collection, scheduling drilling subcontractors, data entry, and effective communication to ensure accuracy in our reports. It’s noteworthy share that the transition from academia to private consulting felt abrupt. Some challenges were the amount of new information and the rare yet exhausting 50-hour weeks: Standing outdoors taking detailed notes while loud machinery drills into the ground, followed by the drive back to the lab to unload samples and pack for the next day.

A good metaphor is to consider the sport of baseball as my engineering discipline. I grew accustomed to being an outfielder (college student), then suddenly I’m told to play at first base (consultant) with no experience in this faster-paced environment. I may be playing the same “sport”, but the skills and expectations are very different!

In the links to my work samples, you will see what a few days in the field looks like for an early-career geotechnical engineer. The borehole logs (Redtop Rd) show the first draft field logs as they were taken in the field. The rock coring logs (Kincaid Rd) have been revised and refined from the original notes.