My name is Erik Schnaderbeck and I spent the summer of 2014 working as an engineering intern for the company Envirocon. Envirocon specializes in construction projects focusing on environmental remediation, dredging, sediment remediation, geotechnical engineering, demolition, and building remediation. Envirocon was founded in 1988 and has completed almost 3000 projects. The corporate headquarters are based in Missoula, MT with numerous regional offices all across the United States and Canada. This past summer I worked predominately out of Envirocon’s regional office in Portland, OR. and traveled to projects throughout Washington, Oregon, and Montana. I spent time working both in the field and the office. In the field, I assisted with project oversight, surveying, determining material quantities, and quality control. Time in the office focused on preparing cost estimates for large constructions projects, scheduling, coordinating with subcontractors, and preparing bid packages for clients.

This experience proved to be invaluable as I was fortunate to work with great people and work on a large variety of complex civil engineering projects. Working both in the field and in the office showed me what goes into effectively completing a large engineering project. Coursework from classes focusing on fluid mechanics, geotechnical engineering, structural analysis, and numerical modeling provided a very strong foundation to be able to tackle any project I was assigned. Working for Envirocon and receiving “real-world” experience is something I will carry on with me to future endeavors and projects. Working as a summer intern also allowed me to travel throughout the Pacific Northwest and see new places. I strongly feel that having a summer internship is the best way to solidify career goals and desires, the possibilities are endless.