As senior Emily Calamia prepares to wrap up her coursework for her Bachelor of Science in civil engineering, she is also preparing to launch her career as soon as she graduates in May. Calamia has already accepted a position with Woolpert Engineering as a structural designer.
But that’s not all she has planned.
“Once I graduate, I can officially apply for my Engineer-in-Training certificate and begin my four-year countdown to gaining experience under licensed professionals, so I can sit for the Professional Engineer Exam and eventually be able to sign, stamp and seal my own documents. That process will take some time. In the meantime, I will be attending Penn State Harrisburg to continue my education and pursue a master’s in civil engineering, with a focus on structural engineering,” said Calamia.
Calamia spoke highly of her classroom experience at Ship and the hands-on learning opportunities that her program offered in the Milton and Doreen Morgan School of Engineering. She’s especially thankful for the networking and internship opportunities she had access to from day one.
“I was lucky enough to attend networking events as a freshman and sophomore, along with an American Society of Highway Engineers dinner in downtown Harrisburg. There, was able to get a business card and my first winter internship at Dawood Engineering in Harrisburg, PA,” said Calamia.
She interned with the company during breaks over the course of the next two years and then decided to branch out and landed an internship with Michael Baker International as a transportation quality intern. During this time, she was also a rotational intern throughout all departments, including construction management, roadway/highway, traffic structures, bridges and public engagement.
It was a great experience and one that allowed her to grow and expand her network among professionals and peers her age.
In the winter of 2025, she returned to Dawood, which was in the midst of a merger with Woolpert Engineering.
These internships and networking opportunities led Calamia to interview and secure a job offer from five firms last semester, but she eventually accepted the position with Woolpert.
“I loved the people, the work and I couldn’t have gotten there without all of the networking and opportunities they provided me,” she said.
As Calamia prepares to enter the workforce, she is also focused on finishing her senior capstone project titled Conceptual Framework for Floating Concrete Applications: Prestressed FRP in Lightweight Structural Design and Optimizations. The project is another example of the value of networking and how the experiences offered in the program prepare students for their careers. To tackle the project, Calamia and her project team partnered with Nitterhouse Concrete Products in Chambersburg and researchers at the University of Miami.
“This project taught us a lot about how engineering truly works. It was invaluable in terms of learning how to get up and roll with the things that go wrong. It’s a part of life, and engineering itself constantly requires fast thinking, teamwork and correct application of concepts,” said Calamia.
With the knowledge, skills, experiences and a powerful network in place, Calamia is ready to get to work.
“I learned the value of networking early, and I’m going to take advantage of it. I’m excited to start,” she shared.
