Practicum Reflection Essay
While I did not have one specific site that I worked at under Building Interest LLC, there were still several sites I worked at more than others. I worked under Bill Gouker, an alum of University of Maryland and a friend of my father. I had met him several times growing up for events like celebrations and football games, and knew he was a co-owner of a construction company. While I was privilaged with knowing somebody in the construction business since I was a child, I would still suggest building your network early. This can include professors, as many STEM professors have research opportunities at the university, and others at career fairs. Furthermore, forming relationships can help after a class, as professors and their teaching assistants can write letters of recommendation for you to aid in your job hunt.
At this practicum, I did many tasks like calculations, measurements, design, and electrical work. I also did some woodworking, painting, demolition, and asbestos testing. Pretty quickly, I learned the proper methods for the testing and identification of hazardous materials (asbestos and mold) and mounting, which I used to put up framing. The thing that stood out the most to me during my time at Building Interest LLC is the fact that the design process is just as important as the demolition and renovation, as calculations such as stress must be done to ensure the safety of the design.
While the job itself did not truly affect my post-bachelors plans, I talked with my coworkers while we worked about what I planned to do, and they offered different perspectives on options for my future. Originally, I had planned to do the 5-year master's degree program at UMD for chemical engineering while also doing a sustainability minor, but I had mentioned to my coworkers that I also planned on working for a significant time during my five years. They suggested that I shouldn't do work, a minor, and rush my graduate classes all at the same time, especially if I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the research. It may be too much for me when the time comes, and I can always come back later in my life if I wanted to get a master's degree. Taking everything they said into account, I ultimately decided to scrap the idea of a master's degree in five years and would just come back if I ever wanted to obtain one.