Samantha Gonzalez

Class year: CEE B.S. '15
Job title: Assistant Project Manager
Company/organization: Skanska USA Building

Most memorable CEE experience: for Gonzalez was the Cornell/Cantabria exchange program.  She studied and took classes with other Spanish students in Cantabria, Spain in 2014 and then graduated with them at Cornell in 2015. “Studying, and then interning, in Spain was extremely valuable to my educational and personal development. I was taken out of the "Cornell Bubble" and able to gain a new perspective in my studies - learning in a new environment with different ways of teaching.  I was also able to push my personal boundaries as I traveled to new places and continually met new people, learning to connect on new levels whether I was able to speak their language or not.”

Advice on entering the workforce: “Entering the workforce is an adjustment. Be patient with yourself. Don't be afraid to take on different roles and get out of your comfort zone - those opportunities can lead to great things; and don't forget that people skills are just as important as technical skills.”