The engineering profession is a challenging and rewarding career. If you ask any one person why they decided to become an engineer, you will hear many different reasons and stories. My engineering journey started by chance. I knew I enjoyed science and math and declared a math major when starting my college career at the University of Idaho. At the time, I had no idea what I would do with a math degree but knew I liked math and problem-solving, and I was good at it. During the first semester of my freshman year, I met a brilliant student with a full-ride scholarship in civil engineering. Up to this point, I had no idea what civil engineering was, but soon learned from him the different areas of practice that civil engineering offered including roads, bridges, buildings, water, wastewater, conveyance systems, and solid waste to name a few. I was immediately intrigued and decided to declare civil engineering as my major. This set the course for my career, and I began taking introductory courses the next semester.
Engineering school is no joke. It is downright hard. I had a difficult start to just figure out how to study and learn on my own like most other college students coming out of high school. I had second thoughts about being ‘cut out’ to be an engineer but persisted and found my place when I finally was able to take more advanced engineering courses the next year. During my senior year, I took the fundamentals of engineering (FE) exam and passed it to become an engineer-in-training (EIT). With a bachelor’s degree in engineering, this is the first step to becoming a professional engineer. I knew that having a professional engineering license is a critical step in career advancement as well as self-satisfaction in achievement.
Author Travis Pyle, PE is a Professional Engineer with Over Two Decades of Experience and Leads Great West’s Boise Office
Following my bachelor’s degree, I had the opportunity to continue my education at the University of Idaho and received my master’s degree in civil engineering with an emphasis in environmental systems and processes. While finishing up my thesis work, I took a job with a large, national engineering consulting firm. In my early years there, I had the opportunity to be a site engineer for two groundwater cleanup treatment plants on a military base and began engineering solid waste landfills. With mentorship and guidance, my path to solid waste engineering was set. While working under professional engineers and with my EIT, I was eligible to take my PE exam after three years (with a master’s degree and four years with a bachelor’s degree). I passed the exam and became a professional engineer. Although this was a big milestone, I still had a lot to learn to become a competent, well-rounded engineer.
After 18 years at the national firm, I decided that I needed a change. I wanted an opportunity to either start my own engineering company or open a branch office for an already established firm. I chose the latter and the Boise Office for Great West Engineering was born. Almost eight years later, the office is thriving and provides local Idaho and northwest regional engineering services for a variety of clients and communities.
After nearly 26 years of experience, I have had an amazing journey in the engineering field and would not change a thing. The long and challenging days in college to get my degrees were well worth it. I’ve had the opportunity to help communities with their solid waste issues to provide a safer environment for generations to come. I’ve also had the opportunity to mentor young engineers, both interns and graduates, to help shape and develop them into professional engineers. There is no better way to get practical on-the-job experience than through an internship program while still in school. I highly encourage those that are still in school to seek internship opportunities gaining invaluable real-world experience. It will help to fortify the reasons for wanting to become an engineer and provide practical experience by being a part of engineering projects and what engineers do day-to-day.
To learn more about becoming a professional engineer or Great West Engineering’s internship program for students, contact us today.
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