My name is Jenna Urbanski, and I am an Engineer I within the Sustainable Planning & Design group at Barton & Loguidice. Before beginning my career in engineering, I was a Eureka! girl myself. I was with the Eureka! program for five years, from the summer going into eighth grade until the end of my senior year of high school.

This summer, I had the opportunity to welcome Bhavya, a current Eureka! girl, to Barton & Loguidice. It’s certainly a full-circle moment! (And I feel a little old!) 

Tell us more about the things Bhavya did during the internship

I coordinated with many different disciplines within Barton & Loguidice to try to provide Bhavya with a lot of on-site field opportunities. She went out on a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) inspection with me to evaluate the different erosion and sediment control measures used on a construction site. She joined a construction manager on a weekly construction update meeting and received a tour of the site. Our transportation team taught her how they calculated site distances for an upcoming project, and a resident engineer brought her around to various construction sites to show her what he looked at on his inspections.

Was there a particular moment or interaction with Bhavya that stood out to you?

One moment that stood out to me happened when Kelly (Eureka! Manager) visited the office for a site visit to check in on Bhavya. Kelly asked Bhavya what stood out to her during the internship, and Bhavya’s immediate response was that engineers communicated a lot. And it’s true, a lot of our work is very interdisciplinary, and I had never really noticed the amount of communication until someone with a new perspective pointed it out.

What did you enjoy most about having Bhavya at the firm?

I loved Bhavya’s fresh perspective! There are numerous concerns that must be considered when engineering, and being able to look at a site with fresh eyes allows someone to consider different issues that the rest of the team who has been on the project for a longer time may not notice.

Why do you think mentorship and opportunities like this are important for young women?

I think mentorship and opportunities like this are important for young women because it is easier to see a future in a career when the future looks more like you. I have been on interviews for civil engineering companies where the office was entirely male. And that’s intimidating! Everyone will have their own interests, but I always hope that if girls choose not to enter a STEM field, it’s not because they were intimidated out of the field.

Jenna’s final thoughts…

I strongly believe in the Eureka! mission and the importance of real-world experience. Being able to provide a fellow Eureka! girl with an engineering internship and give back to the program that provided me numerous opportunities is very special. I hope Bhavya continues to grow her curiosity in whatever she chooses to do in the future!