Chadler Iriarte ’20

Student Engineering Intern at the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC)

Major: Electrical Engineering
Minor: Entrepreneurship and Design Management

“As an intern, I worked under my squadron’s design team and assisted with the planning and construction of an underground power line system along a large portion of Guam as part of its ongoing military buildup. I also edited schematics, site plans, and prepared documentation needed by contractors such as a Statement of Work and Independent Government Estimate (IGE).

"I applied for this internship to gain more engineering experience, and for the unique opportunity of working for the federal government while still attending college. One of my favorite moments as an intern was traveling throughout the base and touring different project sites. I really enjoyed observing different aircrafts that were there, some of which were deployed during World War II. I’ve also learned how to edit drawings using AutoCAD and Adobe Acrobat, and have become accustomed to military lingo and procedures.

"Some tips I would give students is to apply to as many internships as possible because you never know what might happen. Find the right balance between your social and academic life and don’t pass up any of the opportunities offered to you. After graduating from UP, I plan to attend graduate school in electrical engineering or engineering management
somewhere along the west coast.”