Finding my Dream Job

Kelly O’Connell, BS, Civil Engineering, 2016—received national recognition when she was selected by the American Society of Engineering Educators as the Co-op Student of the Year for 2016. Her co-op career has been varied, including work as a general contractor, a water resources consultant, and an energy sustainability professional. Kelly forged an interdisciplinary engineering path at Northeastern, starting with a foundation in civil engineering, and bridging into mechanical engineering to bolster her credentials for a career in the energy industry. A globally-minded individual, Kelly has been heavily involved with Engineers Without Borders. She traveled to Uganda twice to work on water projects, and has held several leadership positions culminating in President, where she oversaw projects in Uganda, Honduras and Panama and was responsible for an annual budget of over $100,000.

Co-op Positions

Barletta Engineering Corp
Canton, MA
Environmental Partners Group
Quincy, MA
Energy and Resource Solutions
North Andover, MA

My third co-op was the first time in my life that I actually was able to say, “I love my job!” I ended up at a commercial energy efficiency company that is everything I could ever want in an employer.

Finding My Dream Job on Co-op

Kelly O’Connell describes her co-op experiences in her own words.

When I began my college search, I never had any intention of going to Northeastern. I sent in an application because it was convenient and I had heard people talk about it being a good university. A week before final decisions were due, I squeezed in a campus tour, just to give it a chance, even though I had already prepared my acceptance at another school. Upon arriving, I was immediately enchanted by all that Northeastern had to offer and knew that it was where I was meant to be. Co-op was something that they talked about during that tour, but I definitely did not understand its importance upon entering Northeastern.

Five years and three co-ops later, I cannot express my level of gratitude and support I have of the co-op program. It has shaped me into the person I am today, as a student, a professional, and an adult. Each of my three very diverse positions taught me its own unique lessons, which may have taken years for me to learn otherwise, if at all.

For me, co-op has not just been about learning how to be in a professional work setting and being a good employee, it was mostly about finding my passions, my strengths, and myself. I chose to study civil and environmental engineering because I was good at math and science in high school and I wanted to make a difference in the environment. Through my co-ops (and many other colleges experiences), I narrowed this broad definition down to specifically being interested in sustainable energy practices. My first co-op at a large construction firm and my second at a water resources engineering firm made me realize that the path that I chose for myself thus far was not one that I really wanted to be on.

During my second co-op, I decided I needed to make the rest of my time at Northeastern a worthwhile experience that would point me in the direction of my professional interests. I elected to do a mechanical engineering minor, and the remainder of my civil classes outside of the traditional choices about water or structures to focus on energy. I also went to a mechanical engineering co-op coordinator to help me apply for positions of interest that were not available to civil engineers.

My third co-op was the first time in my life that I actually was able to say, “I love my job!” I ended up at a commercial energy efficiency company that is everything I could ever want in an employer. Aside from having dogs in the office and lunchtime foosball tournaments, the work was actually interesting and enjoyable! I happily accepted their job offer to join the team as a full-time employee after graduation.

Without my co-op experiences teaching me more than many classes have, I would have ended up going through my entire education blindly following the premade, traditional path and would have never ended up where I am today. My story is just one of the many co-op success stories that have come out of Northeastern and I couldn’t be more grateful.

student in hard hat with rows of solar panels in background

Kelly O’Connell, BS Civil Engineering 2016, on co-op.

Related Departments:Civil & Environmental Engineering