Belle Fischer’s Structural Engineering Co-op at THP: Engineering Passion Meets Real-World Impact

THP Structural Engineering Co-op, Belle Fischer, gaining valuable hands-on experience.

Belle Fischer is an incoming second-year student majoring in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in structures at Purdue University. We asked Belle why she chose engineering as a career, her perspective on working in the AEC industry, and what made her structural engineering co-op at THP this past summer different from anywhere else.

Why did you choose civil/structural engineering as a future career?

From a young age, math was always my favorite subject in school. I always enjoyed the problem-solving aspect of those courses and excelled in the physics classes. Then my dad introduced me to engineering, as he has an electrical engineering degree of his own. In eighth grade, I started taking engineering classes through my local high school and loved every minute of them. I took a specific liking to my architecture class and started to gain a passion for the artistry behind the structures I saw around me. With all this being said, I chose to study civil engineering with an emphasis in structures because I wanted to work on large-scale buildings. This path allows me to apply my strengths in math and physics to real-world projects.

What do you like about working in the AEC industry?

Something I really enjoy about this industry is the versatility. I personally dislike the feeling of doing the same thing every day. With the AEC industry, although similar at times, each project creates unique challenges with a one-of-a-kind final product. Different jobs need such different designing; even the same job in two separate areas of the country requires a new set of plans. I can absolutely see myself enjoying a career in the AEC industry for the rest of my life due to this.

What attracted you to THP?

THP immediately stood out to me for many reasons. The first being their esteemed work in structural engineering. Growing up in Cincinnati, it was very intriguing to me to learn how many structures THP has provided work for that I have known and loved throughout my childhood. Secondly, is the company relationships. Hearing about the large retention rate from their co-ops made me optimistic that THP values their employees and treats them well. This has absolutely proven to be true. Finally, the large range of projects that THP covers in their scope of work made me optimistic that it would be a good fit. Working on garages and large-scale industrial buildings, THP has given me the experience designing plenty of different types of structures, which has taught me about many scenarios in this profession.

What was your favorite thing about co-oping at THP?

It is difficult to single out my favorite part of my co-op, as it has all been wonderful. The first and most important topic to note is the wonderful environment. Everyone who I met during my summer here was nothing less than warm and welcoming. This is my first ever co-op, and I’m so grateful that I was surrounded by so many friendly faces who were always willing to help. I never felt nervous to ask questions as I knew that everyone would always be willing to help me learn.

I also really loved the opportunity to work in two of the four areas in which THP specializes. I worked mainly with the structural engineering team, but also with the restoration team. I was able to see a large plethora of projects this way, and really understand the many ways I could apply my education in the future. Finally, I am so thankful for the immense learning opportunities I got this summer. From going on site to many types of builds, to learning and gaining experience in many software systems, I got a lot of hands-on experience. It was very helpful for me to learn these new software systems as well as gain more experience with the two I was already familiar with. Overall, I am very grateful to have had such an amazing opportunity to work at THP.