This summer Westlake was thrilled to reintroduce our college internship program after a two year hiatus due to Coronavirus. Though only here for a few short months, intern Shaina Clark made a positive impact at Westlake before returning to her studies at PCC’s Civil and Construction Engineering Technology (CCET) Program.

Shaina responded to a few questions about her summer and reflected on the experience.

What did this internship teach you? What’s your biggest takeaway?

I felt like I got to learn a lot more about CAD (specifically Civil 3D), which is what I was hoping to do with this internship. While I definitely have a long way to go to consider myself skilled in it, I know my way around it much better and feel like I’ve gotten set up with a solid foundation to be able to grow my skills in this area.

What did you enjoy most about your internship?

I really enjoyed the work environment. Getting to work in a small company where people know each other and interact with each other like people and not like cogs in a machine is really pleasant, and makes it enjoyable to go to work each morning. I also really enjoyed having a lot of support from the engineering team so that I was able to constantly learn throughout the internship without being expected to already know things that I’d never learned.

Something fun you did this summer?

I got to participate in the Kickball without Borders tournament! I was very sore for many days afterward, but it was a really fun event and it was nice to get outdoors and get some fresh air and sunlight while also having fun with other people from Westlake.

What are your hobbies? Favorite places to eat? Ways you like to relax after work or class?

I love hiking, swimming, and making art. Exploring the many places to hike in the Portland area has been a great way to spend my spare time recently and I’ve gotten to discover a lot of trails I never knew existed. I also love reading and have been trying to make more time to do this lately.

What are your plans for the future after you get your degree?

I haven’t really thought them out fully, but I’d like to do something that involves using CAD on a regular basis. While I know this degree gives me a lot of flexibility, I feel like CAD is something I’d really like to do more with. I’d love to have the opportunity to work at Westlake once I’ve completed my degree, since I already know I like the company and like the people here.