Mechanical engineering major Trevor Walraven credits UA Career Center for guidance with co-ops, internships
Trevor Walraven sits in an engineering course in 2023, anxiously looking ahead to graduation. He’s two years away from completing a degree in mechanical engineering, but the persistent promotion of internships and co-ops announced each week throughout the college is beginning to resonate.
Later that day, Walraven enters the Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering Career Development Center in HM Comer Hall, where he meets Milla Green, the co-op coordinator at the time.
“I told Milla, ‘I know nothing, and I need you to tell me everything I need to do so that I can succeed,’” Walraven said.
His first meeting with Green was both enlightening and affirming. Over the next two years, Walraven visited the ECDC almost weekly, where Green helped him connect the dots to internships and co-ops and, ultimately, his “dream job” with Turner Construction in Atlanta, Georgia, where he’ll begin working after he graduates in December 2025.
Thankful for the guidance he received at the ECDC, Walraven is now part of a prestigious group that is vital to shaping the UA experience into one of the best in the country: UA’s donors. Walraven recently made a gift to the Senior Legacy Society (SLS), a student philanthropy initiative that began in October 2025. Gifts to the SLS for the 2025-26 academic year will benefit internship stipends through the UA Career Center, a fund selected by student leadership through UA’s Division of Student Life.
“When I heard that the gift was going to support the Career Center, I had to contribute because of how impactful it has been throughout my academic career,” Walraven said.
“The Career Center has helped me and my peers so much,” he added. “Many are set for after college because they participated in the co-op program or got an internship through the Career Center.”
The ECDC helped Walraven navigate the co-op interview day, the numerous follow-up interviews and where and how to move forward once he received offers.
He spent three semesters co-oping with Jordan & Skala Engineers, during which he first applied his mechanical engineering knowledge to building projects. It also helped solidify his career path after college.
“I stumbled into something I loved, and it made me passionate enough to keep growing and chasing what I’m going to do when I leave UA,” Walraven said.
Walraven later secured an internship with Ulliman Schutte Construction, where he participated in a project that, upon completion, increased Louisville, Kentucky’s water supply.
“I got to work on a water treatment plant, creating a secondary pump station,” he said. “When I arrived, we were excavating, and when I left, we were building out of the ground.”
Though his relationship with the Career Center began as a search for practical experience, Walraven continued to frequent the center as he approached the workforce, particularly to refine his resume and practice interviewing.
“An engineering degree is hard, but it has equipped me to do what I have desired since I was a kid,” he said. “And now I am leaving UA with my dream job where I can grow in the profession.”
Walraven credits Green for being a steady supporter throughout his academic career and for laying the foundation for his early career growth.
“Milla is fantastic at helping students realize their intelligence and worth and how that translates in the workforce,” he said. “She has helped me negotiate offers and choose a place that will care about me.”
Green said that Walraven is an example of how to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Career Center, leading to more positive outcomes for students, especially if they engage sooner in their academic careers.
“In the ECDC, we are eager to meet students and recent alums wherever they are in their professional journey,” Green said.
“But those students who engage with the Career Center early and who actively build relevant experience through work, engagement in campus organizations and project work in their field often find themselves on a smoother path toward achieving their career goals.”