International Experience

The Global Experience
When I first applied to the Spain IRES program, I was not aware of all the cultural and economic differences that working as a Civil Engineer student in Spain would bring to my plate. Shortly after meeting the mentors at AIDICO, I learned that the economic health of Spain has been deteriorating in the last decade. For this reason, infrastructure construction is coming to a sudden halt. The unfortunate economic situation affects the career of civil engineers tremendously. The tense situation of the country's construction sector is one of the biggest challenges a civil engineer can face. If there is no money to fund new projects, then there are no jobs. The professional engineers at AIDICO have chosen to see this as a new challenge to overcome. Their mentality is that because there is a lack of funds, civil engineers have the duty to discover ways to reinforce the infrastructure that already exist to reduce costs in the long run. Their ability to look beyond their difficult circumstances inspires me! I have learned that as a civil engineer it is important to be conscious of the availability of resources at all times, whether it be human resources or materials. Said skill comes in handy in day to day life. We are engineers of our own life and for that reason I think it is important to learn to be respectful of surrounding circumstances and never wasteful. Sustainability and effectiveness are characteristics a city should be built with. It is important to keep in mind that not all seasons will be as fruitful as the ones before. Thus, this eye-opening experience is not something I would have been exposed to in the United States since the construction market is booming. Engineers should have the skill of speculation in the following sense: "A speculator is a man who observes the future, and acts before it occurs." -Bernard Baruch. 

Picture above was taken by me in a subdivision of Valencia where the buildings are built adjacently to avoid rapid overcrowding and diminish the need for driving everywhere, a great example of forward-thinking and sustainability.


The grass isn´t always greener on this side...

Aside from wisdom, certain technical skills I've gained from being at AIDICO are related directly with math engineering. For example, Matlab was a software I never completely learned to use in school. But my mentor at AIDICO uses it all the time, so I had to catch up... quickly! After some hours of frustration, I was well on my way to analyzing the frequencies we obtained with a radar system called IBIS. The frequencies we obtained are a method of non-destructive testing for structures to measure the displacement and soundness of a structure exposed to the seismic conditions of its surroundings, traffic and wind. The reason that AIDICO uses non-destructive testing to analyze structures is to provide solutions to the deterioration of ancient infrastructure and buildings. By working in Spain at AIDICO, my common sense has expanded. I have learned that since Spain is hundreds of years older than the United States, there are dilemmas involving the age of infrastructure. As a relatively new country, American civil engineers have not had to face these dilemmas just yet. The insight will be an asset to my education because Spain's wisdom has been passed down to me and I will be able to trace back to the innovations I've learned here. I will be able to address possible future outcomes of the construction decisions we are making today as a country. Assessing the stability of ancient structures is a way to learn from other's experiences to improve the design of our cities in the United States. The non-destructive testing department at AIDICO continues to work on very interesting projects. One of them is the preservation of historical industrial chimneys around Spain. Last week I was excited to be a part of one of these radar tests of great historical importance in Alicante, Spain. AIDICO was collaborating with international universities to document the quality of the chimney. We spent a whole day running tests on site and meeting professors from all over the Valencia area, Barcelona, and Italy.

Picture taken by a drone camera that the University of Alicante professors brought to serve as a remote tester... but it also served as a panoramic professional photographer!

Mind Like a Parachute

After the IRES experience, I will be coming back to the states with only 4 months left until graduation. Consequently, searching for job opportunities will be the next order of business in my life. The cultural knowledge I have acquired in Spain at AIDICO will allow me to be more open-minded on the job search. Instead of narrowing my options to only one field of study, I have realized that having a broad set of skills will make me a more valuable part of any company or field. When the economy shifts in the United States, I will feel more confident knowing that change is a part of living. Nothing lasts forever; including the booming construction market that exists today in the United States. I am extremely excited to graduate and continue learning from life. Being open to different ways of life will make transitions easier to deal with. Furthermore, the ability to transition from one career to another, depending on the demand of the situation, will make my life much more enjoyable than confining myself to one specific field of study. I am excited for a future of open minded decisions! 

(Left) First open minded decision: buying a pair of printed bottoms (popular in Europe) and wearing them to Sunday Mass in Barcelona! My pants are symbolic of a way to integrate traditional values with modern ideas! (Picture on the right shows a sign outside the cathedral with covered dress requirements.)