“WISE has given me the opportunity to experience what a day in the life of an engineer is like,” said Claudia Kolanovic, a senior at Glen Cove High School.

Claudia interned with Matthew Hayduk, a mechanical engineer and GCHS alumnus, for part of her WISE project. The hands-on learning experience helped her bridge the gap between school and the professional world.

“I didn’t know how it applied in real life, how all the knowledge we learned in school can be applied in real life,” said Claudia. “Before dedicating four years and thousands of dollars to pursue mechanical engineering in college, I wanted a little taste of what I was getting myself into. The WISE program opened up opportunities for me. I was able to go out into the world and use the knowledge I’ve obtained through all my years of schooling and apply it to real-life situations.”

The Internship

A home-based private consultant, mentor to the North Shore High School’s robotics team, and GCHS alumnus, Matthew Hayduk was the perfect person to introduce Claudia to the world of mechanical engineering. Throughout the internship, Claudia worked with Matt on various engineering jobs:

1. Project #1: Hydrogen Fuel Cells

To help produce hydrogen fuel cells, highly efficient and light weight batteries that reuse heat and waste, Matt had to create an assembly line device that would evenly coat them in metal. Claudia helped Matt build three prototypes. “You need more than one, because something is bound to go wrong,” said Claudia. “As predicted, the metal warped on the first design, which would have cost thousands of dollars if implemented.”

2. Project #2: An Ascender

Matt and Claudia brainstormed solutions for installing an ascender on a client’s sailboat, which would allow him to move up and down the mast to repair it. Placing the ascender above him would limit how high up the mast he could go. Two people would be needed to operate it if it was put somewhere on the boat. The best solution was to install an ascender underneath the client’s seat, this way it would not interfere with his range of motion and he could control it himself.

3. Her First Real Engineering Job: Revising Blueprints

“Revising, revising, revising” was Claudia’s first real engineering task. When asked to compare a company’s blue prints to an engineer’s, Claudia made sure all the data was precise. After finding a discrepancy in one of the screw sizes and being congratulated and thanked by Matt for saving them so much money, Claudia realized “how important the little things can really be” in the world of engineering. “That little screw could have cost a lot of money.”

Lessons Learned

“I’m a nerd. I like math and science,” said Claudia about her reason for pursing mechanical engineering.

But after spending a lot of time reading paperwork and client contracts at her internship, Claudia discovered that “engineering is not all about math and science.” Language art skills are important for mechanical engineers. Claudia is now prepared to take more English courses in college.

Claudia also gained other insights into the engineering field:

• “Organization is key”: With so many simultaneous clients and demanding projects, engineers need to prioritize work. It is “crucial to be very organized as well as detail-oriented.”
• Build your communication skills: As an aspiring engineer, Claudia learned that “communication skills are extremely important wherever you go. During [her] internship, [she] witnessed firsthand many phone calls and meetings with clients…[and] noticed how communication with the client, as well as other engineers working on the same project, is essential for a successful project.”
• Have goals: Because “it is important to stay motivated, especially when faced with difficult engineering problems,” one should set goals, whether they be short term or long term.

Breaking Gender Boundaries in the Engineering Field

Often one of the only women in a room of engineers, Claudia quickly realized the gender disparity in the mechanical engineering field. Although afraid of being “alone” as she pursued her passion, Claudia learned that being a female engineer is an advantage.

“There’s no hiding the fact that engineering has always been a male-dominated field, but that doesn’t mean that it has to remain that way,” said Claudia. “In my opinion, a girl who can look past those statistics and has the motivation to reach her goal of becoming an engineer has a huge advantage. She has not only proved to others that she’s capable of achieving this goal, but she has also proven to herself that she is just as strong, if not stronger, than the guys. This girl has the perseverance, determination and drive to succeed. My goal is to be this girl.”

“I know that mechanical engineering is the right major for me”

“WISE helped me make a ‘wise’ choice about my future,” said Claudia. “After completing an internship with a mechanical engineer, I know that mechanical engineering is the right major for me.”

Claudia will pursue mechanical engineering at Lehigh University in the fall.