GEARE Student Experiences in 2022 - Part 1

One of the important pillars of the GEARE program is the completion of a work experience. Having an internship or research experience as an undergraduate student is a great opportunity to apply classroom learning to a real world engineering project. Last summer, GEARE students were able to complete work experiences across the country and world. We will be sharing some of these student experiences on a weekly basis this semester.

Aidan O’Nan is a junior in Civil Engineering who completed an internship last summer. The highlight of his experience was “being on site surveying transportation infrastructure throughout Indiana and making meaningful connections with industry professionals.” One interesting thing he got to do was “sit in on meetings with local fire chief and discuss a sustainable fire station design.”

Since one of the most important aspects of the GEARE program is building and sustaining intercultural connections, it is a great opportunity to work as part of a global minded organization. At his internship, Aidan was able to meet “many people from diverse backgrounds” and work in a system “where making intercultural connections is crucial to working efficiently on job sites.” To further complete his GEARE curriculum, he is “planning to study abroad at Universidad EAFIT in Medellin, Colombia next spring, and work abroad next summer”.

Thanks to Aidan for taking the time to answer some questions about his experience and I hope you enjoyed hearing it. We will continue to share student experiences like these in the future.