At Century West Engineering, we are committed to fostering the next generation of engineers and industry professionals through our annual summer internship program. Each year, we welcome a group of talented students who bring fresh perspectives and new energy to our projects. As the summer draws to a close, we take the time to reflect on their experiences and gather feedback to ensure our program continues to provide meaningful opportunities for growth. This year’s cohort included Emily Dahbura, Elizabeth Roggenbauer, Taya Gullard, Ava Brawley, and Hunter Dunne, who shared their favorite moments, challenges, and lessons learned during their time with us.
Hands-On Experience and Team Support
One of the themes that emerged from the interns’ reflections was how hands-on their work experience was, as well as the supportive environment they found at Century West. Elizabeth Roggenbauer reflected on how welcoming and communicative the team was from day one: “The Spokane office does a great job. Everyone’s super friendly. I never felt stupid asking a question, whether it was to a project manager or an engineer-in-training. The environment was always supportive.”
Emily Dahbura echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the encouragement she felt to seek help and ask questions: “Everyone says to ask questions, but to actually do it is a different story. I would just reassure the next group of interns that it’s okay to reach out whenever you need help, even if it’s a quick question on Teams.”
Linking Academics to Real-World Applications
Several interns found that their academic background directly tied into their work at Century West, providing them with a deeper understanding of their tasks. Emily, for example, noted that her recent coursework in highway engineering helped her hit the ground running: “I took an intro to highway engineering class right before I started here, so I was familiar with concepts like vertical curves and stationing. Seeing them applied in a real-world project was pretty exciting.”
Similarly, Ava Brawley found her experience with GIS and engineering equations from her classes helpful when she worked on pipeline roughness coefficients. “It was really cool to use Manning’s equation that I’d learned in class and apply it to a real project here. It made my homework feel a lot more relevant!” she said.
For Taya Gullard, who studies aviation management, her coursework aligned with her work on airport master plans. She worked extensively on the Lake County, Oregon project, focusing on existing conditions for the airport’s master plan. “It was great to apply what I learned in my airport planning class to an actual project,” she shared, “and even though the class was mostly quizzes, the textbook material was really useful.”
Professional Growth and Networking
Beyond their technical contributions, the interns highlighted the opportunities for personal and professional development. Elizabeth found it invaluable to participate in project meetings, particularly for the US Highway 2 project. “David put me on all the US 2 project meetings, and it was amazing to see how we communicate with different stakeholders—subs, WSDOT, and city planners. Being a part of those meetings was a great learning opportunity,” she shared.
The interns also emphasized the importance of taking initiative and exploring different areas of interest within the company. Taya, who has a minor in digital marketing, noted, “I told my supervisors about my graphic design background, and they set up some meetings with Rachel where I got to learn about InDesign and work on design projects. It was a great opportunity to use my broader skill set.”
Elizabeth echoed the importance of seeking out opportunities: “If you find out someone is doing something that interests you, reach out to them. I started working on some water treatment facility projects with Jirayr because that’s what I’m studying in school. I only wish I had talked to more people in other departments!”
Memorable Moments and Advice for Future Interns
The interns also reflected on their favorite memories from the summer, both on and off the job. Many pointed to the Internship Retreat as a standout experience. “The intern retreat was one of the best parts of the summer,” Elizabeth shared. “It was great to meet the other interns and hear about what they were working on.”
When asked to share advice for future interns, Emily encouraged them to embrace the learning process and not hesitate to ask for help. Taya added that interns should make their skills and interests known to their supervisors to open up more opportunities.
Looking Forward
As we wrap up this year’s internship program, we are proud of the contributions our interns made and the professional growth they experienced. Their insights not only highlight the value of hands-on work and team collaboration but also offer valuable feedback for us to continue improving the internship experience.
We look forward to seeing how Emily, Elizabeth, Taya, Ava, and Hunter apply the skills they’ve developed during their time at Century West to their future endeavors. Their passion, curiosity, and hard work have left a lasting impression, and we hope to see them continue growing as they progress in their careers.