What year are you and what do you study?

Senior, Civil Engineering

Who is/was your employer?

TOHL
Santiago, Chile

How did you learn about your internship?

Professor

What was the application process like?

I submitted my resume and had a phone interview.

What were your major tasks or projects at this internship?

I prepared technical reports, technical designs, grant proposals, and marketing material for TOHL's multiple projects. All projects were involved with water management in rural areas of Chile.

Do you have any recommendations for Georgia Tech students looking to intern in the same company or country?

TOHL is a small, innovative, and visionary team. If you're interested in rural water resources engineering and its intersection with governmental and private sectors, this is a great opportunity to learn about its intricacies. While professional relationships are formed, TOHL is a social entrepreneurship firm and does not have a very corporate culture. A few preferred skills for the internship would be conversational Spanish, self-motivation, and creativity.

Where did you live? Did you find accomodations independently or with your company's help?

The company helped me find websites to search for local housing. I found an apartment on one of these websites.

How has this internship influenced your career path?

Interning with TOHL helped me learn about the role and opportunities of engineers in the realm of rural water management. I was able to explore engineers' role in not only providing technical services, but also working with public policy and planning actors in order to create a well-rounded approach in rural water management. My internship with TOHL helped me solidify my passion in international development and concretely see the various paths I could take after my undergraduate studies.

If paid, did the company you worked for pay you enough to live off of your salary or stipend, or did you have to supplement your income with personal funds?

The internship with TOHL was unpaid, but I was able to fund my experience thanks to the Mundy Funds, a scholarship which is available to civil and environmental engineering students at GT.