Summer Intern Series: Meet Andi Vicksman

Written by: Jesselyn Hamilton

Summer Intern, Andi VicksmanThe Bureau of Reclamation offers diverse internship opportunities for students interested in engineering, hydrology, biology, chemistry, geology, and much more. At Reclamation, we want to see college students land a job that will fulfill their interests.

Andi Vicksman is a summer intern from Denver, Colorado. She received her Bachelor’s Degrees in Applied Mathematics and Engineering Plus (Civil Engineering coupled with a Secondary Math Teaching license) from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Andi is starting a Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering at Purdue University this fall.

Rather than going directly to graduate school after earning her Bachelor’s Degrees, Andi taught at a high school for a year. This experience made it a bit challenging for her to transition to office life. She said, “It was an adjustment to sit in a cubicle and work on calculations or one drawing for long periods of time.”

Prior to her work with Reclamation, Andi had no knowledge of dams. Her knowledge of dam operations increased tenfold from the beginning of the summer to the end. The project she most enjoyed during her time with Reclamation has been the Paonia Project. She found the project “super unique and challenging to learn from.” One of Andi’s biggest takeaways from her internship was seeing the industry application of her theoretical coursework. In addition, Andi mentioned that she, “will remember how important it is to collaborate on projects and how many different engineers it takes to accomplish any project.”

In terms of her future career, Andi is still trying to find which field of structural engineering is the best fit for her. She feels like she would like to work as a structural engineer for several years. However, she said, “Eventually I want to end up back in a high school and teach engineering to high schoolers.”

Andi’s experience as an intern has led her to value Reclamation as an agency. She said, “Reclamation is important because water is essential for life. In addition, the dams created by Reclamation, if not maintained, have the potential to cause loss of many lives.”

Andi’s intern experiences will serve her well and provide her with an array of useful knowledge and tools as she progresses in her education. Reclamation is grateful for the opportunity to mentor young professionals who will play a significant role in shaping the future.

Published on August 17, 2017