Lu
Luis Lu was one of the lucky few to know what career he wanted early in
life. After joining the robotics club in high school, the Philadelphia
native found his passion in engineering. Among the variety of disciplines involved in robotics, he decided to focus on mechanical engineering because
he loved being able to build and design projects.
Lu is on his second co-op and credits his experience as helping him
become a well-rounded engineer. When working on his first co-op at
Philadelphia Gas Works, he learned how utility companies operate and the
different tasks required for his role. He believes one of the most
important things he’s learned about is his project management skills and
claims that collaboration among engineers is one of the essential tools.
“You won’t succeed if you work on a project alone,” he says.
When looking for his second co-op, Lu wanted a variety of work experience
that would give him desk work and take him off-site for projects. At Aqua
Pennsylvania, Inc., he gets to do just that. Whether driving to plants to
collect data, designing a layout for a new development site, or helping
update the company’s asset management system, Lu has tried his hand at a
variety of tasks required for his engineering position. In fact, his work
serves a vital role in keeping the company organized and updated on its
assets.
Both co-ops have affirmed Lu's choice to become a mechanical engineer. Not
only does he feel prepared for his post-college career, but he’s also
learning things that put him at an advantage over his peers. He has picked
up proficiencies in project management and using AutoCAD and other
engineering software that will have him more than prepared for his future
career.
“In the classrooms, I learned the skills I need, but co-op is the time for
me to use them,” he says.