My First Conference, and What It Taught Me

As conference season arrives, I find myself thinking back to my first summer internship and my first industry conference. Getting that exposure from the beginning of my career changed how I understood this profession from day one.

That spring/summer of 2013, I interned with the City of Gresham through the CECOP program in their wastewater engineering group. They brought me along to the APWA Oregon conference in Hood River. It's not common for interns to get that kind of access early on, and I didn't take it for granted. It showed me I mattered as an intern, and it gave me real insight into the industry. Big shoutout to the City of Gresham team and the mentors who invested in me.

Fast forward to this spring. I'll be at the APWA Washington Spring Conference in Vancouver, this time representing Oxsen Learning. I'm excited to see familiar faces, meet new people, and hear everyone's perspective on what's happening in the industry.