Georgia County Internship Spotlight

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Kundell Environmental Management Intern Jeanellia Garcia Works with Glynn County

Jeanellia Garcia, a civil engineering major at Georgia Southern University, is the first Kundell Environmental Management Intern. The Kundell Environmental Management Internship/Fellowship Program was established by the ACCG Civic Affairs Foundation to honor the work of Dr. Jim Kundell. Dr. Kundell was a distinguished professor and highly awarded member of the University of Georgia faculty. During his lifetime, he made significant contributions to environmental law and served as an advisor to many local, state, and national organizations on environmental matters.

Garcia interned for the Glynn County Public Works Department where she was tasked with conducting hydrology studies and designing drainage systems in a neighborhood with a history of storm water damage. The first design took place in Mallery Street which is surrounded by parks and other housing complexes.  A new drainage system was created by Garcia with new pipe systems and seven different inlets for that street. The second project in Harrington Street required her to outline the problem areas and create a drainage system that can resolve them. Along with designing the systems, Garcia also had to provide a cost analysis for each project and present this information to the director and engineers.

When asked about her most significant successes during the internship, Garcia noted it was putting into practice what she learned in school. She was able to use the Georgia Storm Water Manual to complete the necessary calculations for the projects which gave her confidence. During the Harrington project, she was able to go in and find the pipe sizes needed for the drainage system and explain why they were needed. Garcia also learned how to maneuver an excavator.

Skills gained over the course of the internship included learning how to communicate with the community, understanding how to use the stormwater manual, how to size different pipes, and developing a better understanding of how water flows. The most important skill she learned was that just because you design something from an engineering perspective does not mean that it will succeed in the field. Garcia expressed that the internship provided immense knowledge that cannot be learned in a classroom setting and that she was grateful for the opportunity to participate in the program.

For more information on GCIP, please visit the ACCG Civic Affairs Foundation website at http://www.civicaffairs.org.