McNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY
McNeese State University encourages students to gain hands-on learning through internship programs. Recently, three seniors participated in such a thing at the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury Engineering Division.
Samuel Cappel and Hadley Hoffpauir are civil engineering majors who each were able to apply classroom knowledge while gaining workforce experience. John Richard is a business major with a concentration in construction management who appreciated the opportunity for real-world problem-solving.
“This internship has informed me about the variety of techniques and technologies that go into the various aspects of engineering work,” says Cappel, from Lake Charles.
While he realized that there isn’t a sole way of completing a job, he explained, “I think the early use of relevant software will provide me a jumpstart going forward.” His dedication and perseverance gained through academia helped carry him through the internship and problem-solving.
Hoffpauir, from Lacassine, learned how to connect project plans and construction drawing to actual field work.
“I gained a better understanding of how drawings, details and specifications are used during construction and how they guide the work on a job site,” he says.
He was able to see different sides of engineering such as utilities, roadway work, design, surveying, drainage and public works. Overall, he enjoyed seeing how classroom concepts relate to real-world projects.
“I will use what I learned every day in my future career, and the internship helped me understand how construction projects operate in the real world,” explained Richard, from Lake Charles. “It gave me experience working with different people, solving problems and adapting when things don’t go exactly as planned.”
He also saw how important communication is between everyone involved on a job site. When it came to reading plans, understanding schedules, safety practices and organization, Richard applied classroom knowledge for better understanding.
The interns were able to see how much planning and coordination goes on behind the scenes while having firsthand access to it. Each of them plans to use this experience to guide them in their careers after graduation.
