Work Experience

Research Assistant

CODE LLC Summer

Summer Farm Hand

During my undergraduate degree at Gonzaga University I was a research assistant under Dr. Marc Baumgardner in the Gonzaga Combustion Lab. I worked on a variety of different projects, most notably, I spent the entirety of my senior year contributing to the design and fabrication of a new combustion hood and also recommissioned a top-lit updraft cookstove with a custom data collection system. The goal of our research was to reduce carcinogenic particles in solid food cookstoves, which almost 2.8 billion people use around the world. I am particularly proud of this experience because my efforts went towards making the world a better place for those who are not as fortunate as myself.

What I Learned: I learned two important lessons as a research assistant at Gonzaga University. The first being how important clear communication is when multiple parties are invested in a project. Proper communication takes a lot of work, but everything runs more smoothly when you get it right. I also learned how to keep a long term project on track while still managing other priorities. A schedule and teamwork are two of the most effective strategies that I know for successfully completing a project on time. “I mean, we can always do it next week… right?”

The summer between my sophomore and junior year of college I worked as a summer intern at CODE LLC in New York City. This was one of the most exciting experiences of my professional life and a huge learning opportunity. Did you know that buildings could get that tall? I was responsible for helping with on-site inspections and documentation of both apartment renovations and new buildings in the Manhattan and Brooklyn area. I also helped with documentation of asbestos testing for renovations and summarized NYC code for the company inspection handbook.

What I Learned: During my time at CODE LLC I had the opportunity to work closely with the CEO where I saw what it took to run a service based company. I learned the importance of taking care of clients and adopting their projects as your own. Your clients success and happiness should be your primary focus in creating a sustainable business. I’m excited for the impact that I can make when I implement these experiences into my everyday work.

With parents that both work in the agriculture industry and growing up in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, farming has always been a big part of my life. I have been working on our family farm for almost as long as I can remember and enjoyed many long summers working for local grass seed farmers. 10, 12, 14 hour days were not uncommon and I can’t think of a more influential experience during my teenage years. I was a heavy equipment operator for Doerfler Farms in Aumsville, Oregon where I was involved with almost every stage of grass seed harvest during the 4 summers I worked there. My final years on the farm, I was responsible for communicating trucking needs between the field operation and the farm headquarters. I also ensured that harvest never stopped in the fields by participating in daily maintenance and managing the on-board grain storages with a tractor drawn seed-wagon.

What I Learned: Working as a farm hand has taught me the value of hard work and what it means to persevere through a task. Pulling weeds, picking rocks, digging ditches, and cleaning harvesters isn’t exactly fun work (and certainly not easy), but the lessons I have learned from this work stick with me everyday and influence how I handle the plenitude of challenging obstacles that life has to offer.