Two Cornell student engineers spent their summer—one at an airport and one in a data center—learning how complex infrastructure works from the inside.
Helen Carhill ’27 and Ava Powers ’27 stepped into hands-on engineering roles through internships with The Waldinger Corporation based in Des Moines, Iowa. According to its website, the company provides mechanical, electrical, sheet metal, plumbing, and HVAC services for commercial, institutional, and industrial customers.
The engineering duo gained familiarity with the daily work of inspections, infrastructure, and the technical problem‑solving that keeps large facilities operating. Although they are both working for The Waldinger Corporation, Carhill is working at a data center construction site in Fairfax, Iowa, while Powers is working on a project at the Des Moines International Airport.
“I am doing a mechanical project management internship, so I am working in plumbing, which means all of your domestic water, your toilets, and also your heating and cooling water,” Powers said. “One of my favorite things this summer has been being able to look at models and drawings and then being able to go walk the site and see things in the actual building.”
The highlight of her summer duties came while getting to inspect the air conditioners on the roof.
“We went on the roof of the airport to check air conditioner units, and I watched planes take off,” Powers said. “We even got to see the fighter jets from the Air National Guard take off the other day.”
Carhill pointed out that engineering internships help you learn about things that are difficult to experience in the classroom setting. Working under a project manager, she said, allows her to see everything that Waldinger does at that project.
“I think something cool I've learned is that this data center's cooling system is closed loop, which means all the liquid running through the system to cool it stays in it, so it does not dump the contaminated water into the environment,” Carhill said.
Both students have relied on their experience with One Course At A Time to keep up with all of the fast‑moving deadlines. The internships often moved quickly and required them to adapt to shifting duties. No matter how busy or fluid their daily tasks are, the early, long hours of project management are worth it, they said, even if it means waking up at 5 a.m.
“Internships are like a trial run of a job, and it helps you decide what you want to prioritize for your future
employer. It makes me feel fulfilled and accomplished to do a summer internship,” Carhill said. “I do recommend students–especially engineering students—to start applying early. Even right now, I have seen multiple internships for next summer already hiring.”
For Powers, this, combined with her earlier internships, has allowed her to narrow down the specific engineering field she wants to pursue after graduation. Her first internship taught her that she didn’t want to be a civil engineer, while her second showed her how comfortable she is in research and development. This year, she’s exploring her final engineering interest.
“I’m still figuring out exactly what I want to do, but one of my favorite things about internships is that I get to try all the different things with no real commitment to anything,” Powers said.
Through the busy days and the exciting work, they have gained a lot of real-life experiences and career advice from the employees of Waldinger. The internships have provided not only technical knowledge but also lessons and relationships that will benefit them long after the summer ends.
“This experience has made me realize that there are so many opportunities and things I can do with my degree, and it is not as much of a straight shot as others made it out to be,” Carhill said. “I plan to continue making the best out of this opportunity and ask as many questions as possible.”