Every year, Davids Engineering welcomes a group of college students to work alongside our team members on various projects for the summer. This provides the students with hands on experience and provides DE support and fresh ideas. We want to take some time to highlight this year’s interns.
Brian Buckham is a student at California State University, Chico studying civil engineering. While based in our Chico office, Brian has been exposed to a variety of different projects. He’s working with a few water districts to help them update their information in our software system, learning to use Python to create maps that will give a clear picture of where the water that is being used is going, and out in the field helping to set up and monitor ET sites that measure water consumption.
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
I am originally from Bellevue, Washington (near Seattle), but I have lived in Chico, CA since 2010. I am about to start my last year at CSU, Chico where I am studying civil engineering. In my spare time, I like to hang out with my wife, kids, and dogs, play golf, and play softball.
WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER GOALS?
I don’t have a clear vision of my ultimate career goals yet, but I do know that I want to get my PE license and work in a water-related field. Working at Davids Engineering this summer has solidified my idea of wanting to work in the water industry.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO INTERN AT DE?
I chose to intern at DE because I wanted to work in a water-related job and because they are a small, local company. It is interesting to be a part of so many meetings (both internal and client meetings) that help to give me a bigger picture of how this industry works and what makes it run while also getting to be a part of the engineering aspects.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH/LEARN AS AN INTERN?
This internship is only for the summer, so I don’t expect to become an expert in anything that I do while I’m here. I do, however, hope to get exposure to many different aspects of the job, which is already happening. I hope to have an overall big picture of how a career in civil engineering will be and to gain some skills that I can take with me after I leave. I would also like to be able to say that I had an impact (albeit a small one) on the company and that what I did made a positive difference in some way.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO GET UP AND GO TO SCHOOL/WORK?
My family is my main motivation. I have a wife and two daughters, and I would like to provide for them and make our lives as enjoyable as possible. I would also like to feel like I am doing some amount of good in my job and DE definitely provides a path to do that. A lot of the work that DE does involves environmental monitoring and helping our customers do what they need to do, but in a way that is sustainable and good for the planet.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?
This is more of a quote, but to paraphrase from a few different sources: “A fool never learns. A smart person learns from their mistakes. A wise person learns from the mistakes of others.” I try to use the information from the experiences of others, but that is easier said than done. I think it is good to try things and fail, but when we fail, to keep trying in different ways until we are successful.
