As my time at Iowa State University comes to an end, I look back and am

astounded as to how much I have learned and grown as not only an engineer, but
also as a person. Throughout my coursework and internships, Iowa State has armed
me with knowledge and a passion to change the world.
I knew from a young age that I wanted to be an engineer due to my love of
science, math, and creating solutions, but it wasn’t until my sophomore year when I
truly realized I wanted to be an electrical engineer. After my first introductory
power systems course, I knew it was meant to be my focus. I continue to enjoy the
quest to find solutions to power problems and am excited when thinking of future
advancements in the power industry.
One skill I acquired during my time at Iowa State was the knowledge of how
to use the software PSSE. PSSE is a high-performance transmission planning and
analysis system. In my first four hundred level class, Power System Analysis I, we
learned about the math, physics, and engineering around transmission lines,
transformers, machine modeling, load flow analysis, and power system
representation. We ended the class by working on a final project of modeling a
power system on PSSE. After the model was generated and the values were
calculated, we then created different contingencies to see what would happen if
certain components of the power grid went down. Having experience working with
fault analysis and load flow is something that will directly translate to my job as a
professional power engineer. This knowledge of real-world software that many
power distribution companies use has allowed me to stand out form my peers and
was a big talking point when interviewing with many companies.
Iowa State also helped me to obtain various internships over my four-and-a-
half years. The internship that most solidified what I wanted to do post-graduation
was with Mortenson Construction during the summer of 2017. During this
internship, I worked alongside their electrical engineers in the Solar and Emerging
Renewables department constructing a solar field in South Carolina. This internship
was very hands on, with me spending equal time in the office and out in the field on
a daily basis. There were countless instances where I was able to impress my
supervisors with my extensive understanding of basic circuitry and the inner
workings of transformers, which we worked very closely with on our project site. I
also worked on a lot of quality analysis for all of the electrical installations across
the project. One experience that I am proud of happened while doing a QA check on
one of our transformers. I noticed some very serious flaws in the installation
including reversed washers, under torqued bolts, and crossed wires. Had I not had a
solid grasp on how transformers should be wired and set up, I could have
overlooked this issue and in turn upon powering up the site, would have cost the
company millions of dollars. However, I was able to alert the project manager and
have the problem fixed.
This internship also taught me a lot about communication. I worked very
closely with fellow engineers, laborers, project managers, and subcontractors. Each
relationship required a slightly different style of communication, but I was able to
learn to communicate very effectively. My mentor and manager expressed how
impressed they were with my ability to communicate both with workers employed
by Mortenson, but also represent Mortenson in a shining light while communicating
with subcontractors. Iowa State’s requirements surrounding technical
communication as well as its emphasis on getting involved and student leadership
directly correlate to my success in these high-pressure communication settings I
was able to succeed in.
This internship sparked my interest in the renewable energy industry and
started my transition to becoming a more educated power consumer. I subscribe to
various renewable energy newsletters and often find myself looking into new
technology in the power sector. Iowa Sate has also allowed me to tie in my passion
for clean energy with my engineering degree in various technical electives. One,
Energy and the Environment, has opened my eyes up to the environmental,
socioeconomic, political, and world issues that effect how we acquire, generate, and
consume power. This knowledge has directly impacted my work in my senior design
project, designing a more reliable power grid for Puerto Rico. Not only do I get to
plan a “green” power grid, I can tie in my knowledge of transformers, generation,
and transmission and distribution systems from Power Systems Analysis I and II. I
can also use my coursework form Energy and the Environment to provide an
economically feasible power solution based on the current financial state of Puerto
Rico.
Overall, Iowa State has transitioned me from a girl who liked science and
math to a woman in engineering who has the drive, desire, and technical education
to change the way the world sees, thinks about, and uses power. The experiences I
have gained in my time at Iowa State have directly correlated to my successes both
academically and in the workplace, and I look forward to the continued use of these
skills as I transition into a professional engineer.