By Matthew Schomisch

The TRAC Internship program is geared toward high school seniors who will be attending college in the fall for a degree in civil engineering. The internship spans seven weeks during the summer and is offered in all seven MDOT regions throughout the state. The students learn the inner workings of MDOT while they are being moved around between the many different career specializations that are based in civil engineering.

I first heard about the TRAC program through my Electronics and Robotics teacher at Kalamazoo Central. He offered modules which I was able to complete in class when I had free time. In the spring he gave me a flier that detailed the internship and how to apply. He helped me draft a resume and we did practice interviews. I definitely feel that a without the support of great teachers, I would not be where I am today.

The first few days of the internship involved lots and lots of paperwork along with a trip up to Lansing where we attended a presentation on harassment. We also met the other interns from around the state.

After the papers were signed and the bizarre safety videos were still fresh in our minds we grabbed our PPE and got out there on the worksites.

First we met with Zach Clothier from the Kalamazoo Garage. He took us around the county and explained some of the programs and jobs they were implementing Example: Using an herbicide to kill the large plants along the highway.

We went to Benton Harbor and St. Joseph to observe the Bicentennial lift bridge. We toured the facility and operated the bridge through a standard procedure. We stopped traffic unnecessarily and received some nasty looks.

The second week was devoted to traffic and safety. On the first day we went with Gary Simonds to pick up a traffic counter. The next day we placed the same counter on a small industrial road in order to come up with an 85th percentile plan for setting a new speed limit.

We then went out with Michael Bippley who took us to a local contractor where we inspected the paint and tape they use on the road. We observed a crew painting the road and got to ride on the back of their truck.

Kerry DenBraber took us on a site review in Plainwell where we observed the PPE and sings that they were using.

I had a lot of fun over the week with the Survey Crew. With help from Erik Schnepp, Bill Allard and Jordan Brazeau, we learned how to use the GPS equipment for mapping the highways. We dug up asphalt using a large metal pick in order to find the reference points on a right-of-way job. We were able to see how to insert the points we had just taken into MicroStation and add them to an overall project. The hours were long but we made connections and gained a valuable work ethic.

We spent another few days at the Region Maintenance Garage in Kalamazoo. This time we were in the sign shop. We learned the process and function of making signs for MDOT’s roadways. We staked a site with Renee Rimkus near Holland that needed new sign placement.

On the second day in the shop I went with Mike Iocca to the Lansing location where they make the larger signs. We packed some up then headed home. The rest of the day was spent making personal signs from the leftover scraps.

When we found out we could not go out with the bridge inspector because he injured his leg, we were disappointed but this led us to helping the survey crew with taking inventory of signs on the highway.

For one week we commuted from the region office to the Marshall TSC. We took turns driving and complaining about each other’s music choice. While we were there we met Denise Lilly. She drove us around the region to different construction site. We observed a water main being replaced, a weigh station being remodeled near Coldwater, the Battle Creek bridge project and asphalt being laid in Homer.

Monday July 15th we arrived early and headed on over to Benton Harbor where we took part in a salt study to determine what the best speed and equipment are for dispersing adequate salt along the highways during the winter. The heat was nearly unbearable but we pushed through with the help of Youth Development and Mentoring students from the area.

The next day we went out with Chris Vera, who is one of the environmental specialists in the office. He took us around the region to various sites where we checked that gas stations and other possible polluters were operating within the environmental guidelines.

The rest of the week was spent on design. We were charged with drawing up a carpool lot that would be placed near the Turkeyville exit of I-69.

This week we spent in the office working on

our presentations. We attended a real estate

meeting within the building and learned the inner workings of

how MDOT deals with property. We also

spent time on SimCity 4 which is one of the

TRAC modules.

My favorite part of the program would have to be the day when we went to see a bridge being installed near Hastings. The area was very remote and we were surrounded by nature. We saw deer, frogs, and fish. On the way back we encountered a huge turtle which we quickly befriended. I really enjoyed leaving the cubicle behind for a while and getting some fresh air. MDOT offers a great balance of office and field work.

For the internship we needed to keep track of our daily activities in a log book. At times this seemed unnecessary but once we needed to work on this presentation it became evident why the log book was such a great tool for remembering what we did and where we went.

I learned so much at MDOT. The 7 weeks were a lot of fun but the whole time we were emerged in a work environment. I learned things like how to function effectively in a cubicle, how concrete and asphalt are laid, how to hold $20,000 worth of GPS equipment out of a moving car window with a grip so tight that I felt my life was on the line. I learned how to read site plans and how to stab the ground with spike until rock turned to dust.

This internship offered a really unique experience. For one, I didn’t spend my summer flipping burgers or corn detasseling. I was able to get my foot in the door to opportunities most people do not see until many years into college.

I was on the fence between civil and mechanical engineering when I started in June. I now plan on majoring in mechanical in the fall. Without MDOT’s help I could have wasted time and money in a field that just was not the right fit for me, and I am so grateful for that.

I never thought of the internship as work. Yes, we were paid, but I would have joined the program even if we were not. I now have experiences and employment that I can reference when applying for other internships and jobs in the future.