Alyssa has always been fascinated by the number of ways water impacts everyday life. She passes clogged storm drains and knows rain could lead to flooding on the streets of downtown Baltimore. She sees a community pond and instead of noticing how it might be a nice aesthetic addition to the area, Alyssa wonders, “Why is there no maintenance access road?” or “Why are there trees growing in the embankment?”
Alyssa joined McCormick Taylor in 2017. She first heard of the company during her internship at the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration Highway Hydraulics Division (HHD) in 2016. While there, she was often asked to review project submissions before they were submitted to the internal review division. McCormick Taylor was one such submission that caught her eye.
“McCormick Taylor always stuck out to me because the company submitted more reports and plans than any other firm, and these reports and plans were typically in the best shape. At the end of my internship, I made a list of firms I was interested in working for and McCormick Taylor was at the top."
When she joined the Water Resources team in McCormick Taylor’s Baltimore office, she was pleasantly surprised to see that the company has a hand in many sectors across the civil engineering industry.
”I’m impressed by the variety of types of projects that the company is responsible for, even just within my field. The wide variety and depth of work is fantastic for someone looking to get experience in different skills and projects.”
Although the work that Alyssa completes on a daily basis is what initially drew her to the company, she believes that McCormick Taylor embodies the definition of a “professional family.” For Alyssa, being surrounded by people who care about you and value the work that you do is what separates McCormick Taylor from other engineering companies.
“Working with other McCormick Taylor employees is one of the best aspects of the job. Everyone is always willing to help, whether professionally or personally. As a young engineer, sometimes it can be hard to feel useful because of lack of experience, but the older engineers and leaders really support younger engineers. I’ve met some great coworkers whom I consider mentors and family.”
Recently, Alyssa has been involved with several Pennsylvania-based projects, which are particularly interesting to her because the state's types of work and standards are so different from Maryland's. She is currently working on drainage and E&SC for the Laurel Valley Transportation Improvement Project, which is the largest highway job she has ever been involved in. While this is only in a small section of the project, Alyssa appreciates the amount of coordination and work that goes into such a massive job, as well as learning more about another state's standards.
"Years ago, an engineer whom I consider a mentor told me to try to learn something new every day, job-related or not. I've held on to this guidance and am in the habit of seeking out new knowledge every day."
