I graduated with an associate’s degree in Civil Engineering Technology in 2005 and a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management in 2007. I’m currently a Design Engineer in the Design and Construction department with CSX Transportation in Jacksonville, FL, but I started my railroad career with a CSX engineering internship the summer of 2006. I was hired as a full time manager in the Design and Construction department July of 2007. CSX attends both job fairs that are held at Michigan Tech. It was during one of the job fairs that I was recruited. The internship with CSX provided insight into the railroad industry and peeked interest in developing my knowledge in the field. As an intern I was able to create my own development action plan that allowed me to learn areas that I wanted to understand. I went with Roadmaster’s learning about track inspection, to Bridge Managers changing timbers for maintenance to riding the head end of locomotives with Engineers, while working at times in the office analyzing data from the local Division Engineer. I was allowed to experience multiple aspects of the industry. When I completed the internship I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the rail industry. While attending MTU I got involved in the rail industry by participating in the Summer in Finland (SIF) program. The program was offered once a year over a summer semester. The program was truly unique allowing me to see the difference between railroads in the United States and Finland. I learned about the past history, future, and standards. This provided me with a head start over my peers. After consideration and conversations with other Class 1 railroads I returned from Finland to start my CSX internship. The railroad industry is fast paced, evolving, and provides advancement and opportunities for development. I have had the opportunity to hold positions that involved constructing track projects, developing project scopes with project sponsors, and designing projects. I went to MTU for construction management. Working for a class 1 railroad has allowed me to use my education to manage outside resources. Today I manage consultants daily to develop designs to our standards for capacity restricted areas. I see the industry continuing to make strides using modern techniques. I look forward to the future changes the industry will bring and how it is bridged with other entities.

Design Engineer, CSX Transportation