Meet Gabriela,
Graduate Student at UC San Diego
Why Structural Engineering?
I’ve always been interested in structures. As a kid, I was always looking at the skylines of San Francisco. As I got older, I began to appreciate the safety aspects of structures; the things that keep people safe in a natural disaster.
What inspires you?
Looking at all the historic buildings of Europe, especially the old cathedrals. The structural engineering of these buildings inspires me. One day, I hope to build something that lasts that long or retrofit a historic structure to preserve it.
What are you passionate about?
Professionally, I’m passionate about safety in structures. I want people to be safe in the structures that I design. I also want to keep history alive through the retrofit and preservation of historic structures. Personally, I like to explore and travel around the world. I recently returned from a trip to Italy. I love to hike in beautiful places.
What have you gained from your internship at PASE?
I’ve gained great experience in applying the knowledge that I gained in the classroom and applying it in the real world.
What was the most memorable project you worked on while at PASE?
A data center project; it was interesting to see how all the different aspects of a data center fit together.
Outside of engineering, what have you enjoyed the most during your time at PASE?
PASE provides a good environment for interns to learn aspects of engineering that aren’t covered in school. I had the opportunity to talk to people already in the field and learn about their experiences as they apply to the next steps in my career.
What piece of advice would you offer to fellow students?
Take advantage of being in school. There will never be another time in your life where your job is to learn. Attend as many classes as possible; explore as many topics as you can.
Here at Peoples Associates Structural Engineers, we put our interns and their talents to work–their skill set and education are not taken lightly. We truly appreciate the opportunity to educate and shape these bright people into becoming talented Structural Engineers, ready to create the next set of structures that shape our cities.
This summer’s interns were a mix of eager Undergraduate and Graduate students. Join us as they share a bit of their story and what they look forward to on their journeys ahead.
All of our interns had a wonderful learning experience at PASE, giving them real-life experience that they’ll take into their blossoming careers. Team PASE took them in with open arms, and absolutely loved to show them what they can look forward to what awaits them after finishing their college careers.