Students Gain Hands-On Experience With Local Engineering Firm

College of Natural Resources students enjoy internship opportunities with employers all around the world, gaining hands-on experiences that equip them for their future careers. One such employer that works with the college is Terracon, a Raleigh-based engineering consulting firm that specializes in environmental, facilities, geotechnical and materials services. 

“Internship experiences like this are incredibly beneficial to College of Natural Resources students,” said Deanna Knighton, the college’s director of career advising and professional engagement. “They offer many opportunities for students to take the skills they learn in their courses beyond the classroom and to apply them outside of an academic environment.”

Knighton added, “They also allow them to grow their network; to earn money while contributing to their career development; and to test-drive a particular job, sector, and employer and see how that test-drive experience affects their future career goals.”

Since working with the college, Terracon has provided students with meaningful experiences and given them the opportunity to work in environmental consulting. During their internships, students work just like they would post-graduation as environmental professionals.

“There’s no getting coffee or merely making copies at Terracon; interns are completing environmental site assessments, conducting endangered species surveys, creating GIS maps, and more,” Knighton said. “Additionally, past interns have even been offered full-time jobs after graduation.”

Last summer, a few students interned at Terracon and had the opportunity to experience firsthand what it is like working for an environmental consulting firm. Their supervisors, Rhiannon Graham, project manager of natural resources, and Allison Stenger, department manager of environmental sciences, were thrilled to work with them, especially since Terracon relies on quality contributions to its team in a short amount of time, something of which interns from the college continue to deliver.

Stenger, who graduated from the College of Natural Resources in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental technology and management, said she knew based upon her own experience that interns from the college are excited and prepared to jump head first into their line of work.

“We are more than willing and excited to teach interns technical skills, but enthusiasm and interest can’t be taught,” Stenger said. “Working with the College of Natural Resources’ students has been fantastic – they are engaged, interested and mature. They take direction well and hit the ground running.”

Learning in the Field

Sydney Pollock, a senior majoring in environmental technology and management at the College of Natural Resources, completed an internship in environmental investigation and remediation with Terracon last summer. She said the experience provided her with a broader perspective of available careers.

“This internship has helped me discover different career opportunities in the environmental field. I learned about possible job opportunities in state government and the consulting field,” Pollock said. “The experience I have gained from this position has given me confidence in my abilities and made me feel prepared to start my career.”

During the internship, Pollock learned how to collect samples for limited site investigations, which is a preliminary assessment of a site’s conditions to identify potential risks. Samples she collected included groundwater, soil and vapor. Pollock also learned how to create aerial maps using ArcGISPro and had the opportunity to learn how to write a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment.

Pollock’s coursework greatly prepared her for the internship. Many topics she learned about during the internship, including environmental monitoring, Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments, media collection, and brownfields sites, she had already had background knowledge on from her courses.

After graduating in May 2025, Pollock hopes to work as a project manager in environmental consulting, specifically on groundwater remediation projects. She is currently working as an undergraduate research assistant, collecting surface water samples to understand bacteria contamination and water quality in southeast Raleigh.

Pollock isn’t the only College of Natural Resources student to recently complete an internship at Terracon. She was joined by Cecilia Nottingham, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences in December 2024. Nottingham’s internship also focused on environmental investigation and remediation.

One of Nottingham’s long-term goals is to work within the environmental remediation industry and to specifically use geospatial analytics. She said the internship not only allowed her to see how GIS is used in the industry, but that it also “directed me to a career path that I didn’t know was possible when I started college.”

Nottingham learned about project management and all the stages of the project lifecycle, and different media collections. She also learned how to take soil samples, soil vapor samples, as well as groundwater samples, and she learned a lot about the technology being used in the industry.

She added, “This internship benefited me in so many different ways. I had the opportunity to do office and field work which was amazing. So, I was able to improve my data analysis skills as well as soil classification skills. I also experienced many unique situations while doing fieldwork that enhanced my experience level.”

Eli Teague, a senior majoring in natural resources with a concentration in ecosystem assessment at the College of Natural Resources, also worked as an intern with Terracon this past summer. His internship focused on natural resources. Teague primarily collaborated with and assisted full-time staff with wetland and stream delineations.

Teague also worked on creating threatened and endangered species surveys to help clients adhere to the Endangered Species Act. He used ArcGIS Pro to collaborate with other Terracon offices throughout North Carolina to create maps visualizing pre-regulatory landfills of possible groundwater and drinking water contamination sites. 

Like his classmates, Teague said the College of Natural Resources was integral to his success at Terracon. “Whether it was through tree-identification, stream and wetland ecology and identification, or the internship requirement, I felt prepared for what I was required to do.”

“I have already begun to see and feel the impacts and importance of my internship with Terracon,” Teague said. “The most prominent, and what I believe to be the most important, way that this internship has affected me is by providing me with a job opportunity.”

Teague is now completing an internship with NC State’s JC Raulston Arboretum, using the skills he gained from his classes and previous internships to maintain and update maps of over 400 garden beds and to improve data management. Upon graduating in May 2025, Teague will begin a full-time position as a field scientist at Terracon.

For College of Natural Resources students searching for job or internship opportunities or employers interested in hiring College of Natural Resources students, please contact Deanna Knighton, director of career advising and professional engagement, at deanna.knighton@ncsu.edu.