Shane Thompson has worked in the industry for six months and it all started at Penn E&R. Shane is studying to be a civil engineer with a focus on structural engineering; he is experienced in CAD design.
What is your role at Penn E&R? I am an engineering intern in the engineering department.
What does a typical day at Penn E&R look like for you? I normally start off my day meeting with the engineering group to go over everyone’s workload for the day. Then, I typically do CAD work or permitting support for most of the projects I work on. Every once in a while, I assist in the field.
Where are you from? I grew up in Newtown, Pennsylvania. I am currently living in Philly.
What college did you attend? I started off studying and wrestling at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. After one year, I transferred and took my talents to Philadelphia where I’m currently attending Drexel University.
What is one goal you’d like to accomplish in your lifetime? I think a goal I’d like to accomplish is achieving a professional engineering license. After working with several professional engineers and seeing the hard work they put in, I think it is a great goal to strive for.
What is your proudest achievement? Because of my short industry career, I would say my biggest achievement isn’t work related. When I was a sophomore in high school, I won the District I Championship for wrestling. The tournament took place at my school and it felt amazing to accomplish something big in front of my peers. It was also relieving to know all my hard work and dedication paid off.
What hobbies do you enjoy when you’re not at work? You can usually find me at the gym or hanging out with my fraternity brothers. I also love playing golf.
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? I think people would be surprised of my interest in art and art history. My mom works at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, so I go and visit a lot. I have always been captivated by art. I think it’s mainly because of my curiosity of the artist’s thought process when creating a piece.
What is (or are) your favorite sports team(s)? There’s only one right answer for this and it’s the EAGLES. I grew up watching games every Sunday with my family and it hasn’t changed since. Hopefully we see them back in the Super Bowl soon.
Who is your hero? I feel like my answer is kind of cliché. My hero is my dad. Seeing how hard he worked to give me the opportunity to pursue my passions when I was growing up is something I’ll never forget.
What is your favorite part about working at Penn E&R? What I love most about working at Penn E&R is the relationships I have made. Although my time at Penn E&R has been short-lived thus far, I see the people I work with as friends first and coworkers second.
