For my practicum experience, I worked full time as a Project Management Intern with Consigli Construction Company on the MacDonough Hall Renovation Project at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. This practicum fell within the application of natural and physical science because it placed me in a professional environment where engineering knowledge, construction processes, and project coordination were actively applied to a major historical renovation project. As a mechanical engineering sophomore in the College Park Scholars Science and Global Change program, I found this experience especially valuable because it allowed me to connect academic concepts I had learned in class as a mechanical engineering major, such as trusses and beams, and mechanical systems, to the realities of field operations, project management, and governmental construction work and its standards.
I pursued this practicum because I wanted to experience large scale construction in a setting where technical knowledge was used in practical and visible ways. I was interested in doing work that went beyond simple observation and allowed me to contribute to an active project while learning from experienced and talented professionals. Consigli Construction offered that opportunity through a large, complex historical renovation at a significant government institutional site. For future Science and Global Change Scholars, I would recommend beginning the search extremely early and approaching potential supervisors with professionalism and outright clarity. A concise email directly to the company recruiter or a specific site supervisor that introduces your academic background, explains the practicum requirement, and expresses genuine interest in the organization can be effective even if you do not necessarily have a prior contact in the company. It is also important to seek a site where there is meaningful work to support and where supervisors are willing to involve students in the daily responsibilities of the project. Actively contributing work that is beneficial to the project’ success is crucial to getting more out of a practicum experience, which simply getting coffee or shadowing will not allow.
During the internship, I supported the project management team through a range of tasks tied to the progress of the renovation. My responsibilities included documentation, coordination, progress tracking, and general organization of project information and documentation. I also observed site conditions and followed ongoing construction activities in order to better understand how field work and project management interact. These tasks gave me insight into the systems that keep a large project moving forward. On a renovation project with many participants, schedules, and strict technical requirements, steady communication and accurate information are essential. My role helped support that process by contributing to the daily management structure behind the visible work taking place on site.
One of the most important lessons from this practicum was a stronger understanding of how science and engineering operate in professional practice. In the classroom, engineering concepts are often presented in a controlled and organized format. On a construction project, those same concepts must be applied under real conditions shaped by schedule demands, site constraints, existing building conditions, and coordination among multiple disciplines. Through this experience, I saw how technical work depends on way more than calculation alone. It also requires accurate sequencing, communication, moments of critical judgment, and incredible attention to detail. As a mechanical engineering student, this was an important realization because it showed me that the value of technical knowledge depends in part on how well it can be applied within a larger project environment under stress conditions that the classroom can not simulate or prepare you for.
This practicum also strengthened my understanding of the connection between science and society, which is a central theme of the Science and Global Change program. Construction projects are technical in nature, but they also serve broader social purposes. The renovation of MacDonough Hall was part of maintaining and improving an important U.S. Naval Academy facility. That context made it clear that engineering and construction work contribute to the long term function, safety, and usefulness of spaces that support larger organizations and communities. The project therefore represented more than the objective set of construction tasks. It reflected the role of technical work in sustaining important historical infrastructure, while supporting the mission of a major national institution to the highest standards possible.
The experience also influenced how I think about my academic development at the University of Maryland. It reinforced my interest in opportunities that connect engineering study with real projects, especially those involving major systems, coordination, and applied problem solving. It helped me better understand the professional skills that matter alongside technical ability. Professional communication, time management and dependability, adequate organization, and adaptability, were all essential in the work environment I observed on a daily basis. As a result, I now place greater value on developing those skills as part of my undergraduate education rather than viewing them as secondary to technical coursework.
In terms of future career plans, this internship gave me a clearer picture of the kind of work that I find meaningful. I was drawn to the combination of technical understanding and steady progress that defines large scale project based work in construction. I also appreciated being part of a team working toward a common goal with large scale visible results. The experience strengthened my interest in construction and project management incredibly because it showed how engineering knowledge can support leadership, execution, and lead to meaningful change. This internship not only confirmed a general interest in applied engineering, it helped narrow that interest toward a field where technical and organizational responsibilities are closely connected through project management, and a space such as construction where I can visualize the change I help make in the world. My goal would be to continue working through the path of project management, up through the executive level. From there, I hope to be bidding and executing large scale construction projects that focus on the betterment of society, such as government, historical, educational, and healthcare infrastructure, which is the type of meaningful work Consigli Construction Co. focuses heavily on.
Overall, my practicum with Consigli Construction was an important stage in my academic and professional growth. It gave me direct experience with the application of engineering in a complex project setting and helped me better understand the relationship between theoretical engineering knowledge, project management, and the highest institutional construction standards in the country. Most importantly, it allowed me to reflect on how the goals of the Science and Global Change program relate to my own development as a mechanical engineering student, including the acknowledgement of the effect that I, the field of engineering, and the overarching realm of science, has on the world. Through this practicum, I gained a much more mature understanding of applied science, professional responsibility, and the kind of work I hope to pursue in the future.