We’re celebrating National Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day by featuring our co-ops, Kali Egan, Margaret Hartzell, and Alexis O’Ryan.
These talented, future-driven young professionals expressed what excites them about working in engineering, what they enjoy about their chosen field of study, and what inspires them most about being a HEAPY co-op.
| What excites you about working in the engineering field?
“There is so much of a difference to be made behind the scenes in the world, and engineering allows us to be a part of that impact. Everything we know and use is because of engineering and that fascinates me.” |
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| Kali Egan Mechanical Engineering Co-op University of Dayton |
What do you enjoy about your chosen field of study, mechanical engineering?
“Mechanical engineering is a huge field. There are so many directions I can choose and unlimited opportunities available. I’m not exactly sure what I want to do as my future career, so having a mechanical engineering degree keeps the doors to my future wide open.”
What inspires you the most about being a HEAPY co-op, as a part of our Healthcare team in Dayton?
“One of my favorite parts about my co-op experience is getting to learn from colleagues in the office. I also enjoy going to site takeoffs at hospitals. Seeing how my own work impacts people daily is cool. I never knew how much thought and analysis went into designing HVAC systems for hospitals, so learning about the scale of that work has been an eye-opening experience for me.”
| What excites you about working in the engineering field?
“Working in the engineering field excites me because I can take part in being on the cusp of new discoveries. In this field, I can apply my critical thinking skills to collaborate, and problem solve.” |
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| Margaret Hartzell Mechanical-Plumbing Engineering Co-op University of Dayton |
“The drive to continuously improve and re-work existing technology pulls me into this profession even more. One thing that motivates me working in a predominantly male industry is being able to show other young girls that they can also make huge advancements in this field.”
What do you enjoy about your chosen field of study, chemical engineering?
“The plumbing division that I am currently working with is interesting to me because, prior to starting my co-op journey at HEAPY, I had little knowledge on the technical aspects of installing plumbing. Understanding the behind the scenes or, in this case, above the floor tile, is fascinating to me. I like understanding the systematic methodology behind pipe sizing, pipe type, and placement of pipes.”
What inspires you the most about being a HEAPY co-op, as a part of our Healthcare team in Dayton?
“One of my favorite things about working on HEAPY’s Healthcare team has been everyone’s willingness to lend me a helping hand and share their wisdom with me. The plumbing team encourages my curiosity and always answers my questions with insightful knowledge. Additionally, my team has made great efforts to get me involved with many different types of projects, which has allowed me to explore and discover new things.
The team’s comradery and collaboration create a welcoming environment that motivates me to come to work every day! While I have not been on a site visit just yet, my mentors Sean Von Hoene and Denver Burton, have made extra efforts to show me the behind the scenes, even here at the office. Looking into the cavities that reside behind the bathroom and giving me in-depth explanations of the different piping for sanitary and venting has really given me a good understanding of the piping I am installing in Revit.”
| What excites you about working in the engineering field?
“What excites me about working in the engineering field, is the ability to work on several different project tasks throughout the week and knowing that what I’m working on is positively impacting several peoples’ lives.” |
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| Alexis O’Ryan Environmental Engineering Co-op University of Cincinnati |
What do you enjoy about your chosen field of study, environmental engineering?
“I like that environmental engineering encompasses a lot of different areas within engineering. You can work with chemicals, water quality, air quality, energy, and civil projects/construction.”
What inspires you the most about being a HEAPY co-op, as a part of our Building Optimization team in Columbus?
“So far, my favorite part about my co-op experience at HEAPY on the BOG team has been going on site visits. I have been able to go to construction sites and see everything being built from the very beginning. I have also experienced occupied sites where I am doing VAVs testing or asset tagging, and making sure everything was installed correctly. From going on these site visits, I have learned a lot; from seeing everything I learn about in videos, to experiencing everything in person, up and running.”
HEAPY co-ops expand both their technical and professional skills through performing meaningful work on real projects. Our co-ops are provided with support through mentors, HEAPY colleagues, and key leaders of our company. Not only do we show our co-ops what to do and how to accomplish their career goals, our mentors and leadership team also provide insightful feedback to help them continue to learn and grow.
Learn about our Careers and Co-op program at HEAPY
