Injury Research Co-Op Student (October 2014-September 2015)

"As a Drexel student, I alternate seasonally between classes and co-op internships. My first co-op, now over a year ago, took place on the 11th floor of an externally unremarkable high rise in the Science Center section of Market Street, at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention. Between October of 2014 and September of 2015, I worked under Dr. Helen Loeb on the Simulated Driving Assessment (SDA) and related projects. I was just coming out of freshman year, with no prior experience working in an office, or for that matter, driving. I was a suburban kid in the big city; I was greener than the Wissahickon Valley in April.

The SDA team put me to work making targeted modifications to simulator scenarios and refining the data processing algorithms. My communication skills saw almost immediate improvement, and, with time, I began to realize the extent to which my technical and intellectual capabilities were being nurtured. I found the context of my work came to inform its execution: My job was not to carry out one task at a time, but to optimize a portion of a larger system.

The skills I learned at CIRP allowed me to thrive at my second co-op with Philadelphia's Streets Department. I have also found, since finishing my co-op, that the CIRP line on my CV is of interest to a variety of potential employers in my field, civil engineering. They appreciate the nuance and distinctive richness of my CIRP experience. The questions CIRP answers are complicated and conceived according to the needs of safety and prosperity, making the work meaningful and unique. Every task is different; every project is fresh; every day is a new and rewarding challenge."