George Washington University Athletics
Summer Spotlight: Courtney Sicinski of Women's Swimming & Diving
7/14/2020 10:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving, Student-Athlete Development
Rising junior swimmer is an operations intern at a local Energy-from-Waste facility
Following a memorable sophomore season in which she scored in three events to help GW women's swimming and diving claim its first-ever Atlantic 10 title, Courtney Sicinski has spent the summer as an operations intern at Covanta Fairfax, a Northern Virginia Energy-from-Waste facility.
Navigating the challenges caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Mechanical Engineering major has learned the ins and outs of alternative energy working at a plant that burns municipal waste to produce energy to power thousands of homes in the surrounding community.
GWsports.com caught up with Sicinski to find out more about her summer.
What was the process for landing this internship? Were there any changes necessary to your plans because of the COVID-19 pandemic?
I first applied to this internship back in January and worked with a contact I have to help push my application along.
I had applied to a bunch of different internships here in D.C. and back home in Pennsylvania. I had almost all my offers fall through due to the pandemic, but I was still holding out hope for this opportunity at Covanta.
After asking how they were dealing with the pandemic, I was grateful to be reminded that waste management and energy are always in demand and that Covanta is an essential business.
A couple days after my interview in March, I was told I got the position. However, the pandemic was getting worse, and soon the company was not sure if they were going to hire interns. It took about two months, but in the beginning of May, I was ecstatic to hear they were going to move forward with bringing on interns.
I had about two weeks to get everything together before I moved to D.C. and started my internship. Everything happened so quickly, but because of this pandemic, I have learned to take each day as it comes and look at each new challenge as a chance to grow and learn.
What is a typical day like in this internship?
One of the best parts about this internship is that there is no typical day. Every day, I am getting my hands on something completely new.
My favorite part is how I work in both the administrative office and out in the plant. On any given day, I could sit down to have a meeting about a new project, and then an hour later, I am out in the facility looking at systems, collecting data and mapping out that same project.
I work closely with operations and engineering, so I get to see everything. I was assigned a couple big projects for the summer that deal with all different systems, but each day, there's hundreds of other smaller projects and tasks to get done, too.
What have been the highlights of your summer so far?
This summer definitely has been different than any other.
When I'm not interning 40+ hours during the week, I spend my weekends playing golf or relaxing with my family.
Originally, I had looked forward to swimming and being with my teammates in D.C., but with the current situation, that just wasn't going to be feasible. However, I am still super lucky to be in the D.C. area, and I love being outside and exploring the city.
How does this internship fit into your career plans?
I have always been fascinated with energy generation and sustainability, so being able to work for a company that diverts waste from landfills while creating renewable energy is very exciting.
I've learned that I really enjoy project management and have already started looking into graduate degree programs in engineering management once I complete my undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.
It's really exciting to be able to apply concepts that I've learned in the classroom to systems right in front of me. I always knew getting exposure in the field was vital, but this summer has really taught me the importance of getting out there and getting hands-on experience.
I love the dynamic environment Covanta provides, and each day I walk into the facility, I look forward to the challenges and learning experiences ahead.
Especially given the unique circumstances caused by COVID-19, what has your training been like this summer?
Since we were sent home from GW, I have been running and doing other forms of cardio almost every day in conjunction with strength and conditioning workouts.
Our coaching staff has done an incredible job sharing workouts with the team and making sure we have the resources we need to continue building strength and endurance outside of the pool.
Because of the unusual circumstances, it has been extremely difficult finding open pools to get laps in. I have been able to get a few self-guided open water swims in the Potomac and lots of running on the National Mall since starting my internship.
Luckily, the Saint James will be opening soon, so I am excited to get back to a regular swim and lift schedule, and I cannot wait to be back on campus and practicing with the team soon.
Navigating the challenges caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Mechanical Engineering major has learned the ins and outs of alternative energy working at a plant that burns municipal waste to produce energy to power thousands of homes in the surrounding community.
GWsports.com caught up with Sicinski to find out more about her summer.
What was the process for landing this internship? Were there any changes necessary to your plans because of the COVID-19 pandemic?
I first applied to this internship back in January and worked with a contact I have to help push my application along.
I had applied to a bunch of different internships here in D.C. and back home in Pennsylvania. I had almost all my offers fall through due to the pandemic, but I was still holding out hope for this opportunity at Covanta.
After asking how they were dealing with the pandemic, I was grateful to be reminded that waste management and energy are always in demand and that Covanta is an essential business.
A couple days after my interview in March, I was told I got the position. However, the pandemic was getting worse, and soon the company was not sure if they were going to hire interns. It took about two months, but in the beginning of May, I was ecstatic to hear they were going to move forward with bringing on interns.
I had about two weeks to get everything together before I moved to D.C. and started my internship. Everything happened so quickly, but because of this pandemic, I have learned to take each day as it comes and look at each new challenge as a chance to grow and learn.
What is a typical day like in this internship?One of the best parts about this internship is that there is no typical day. Every day, I am getting my hands on something completely new.
My favorite part is how I work in both the administrative office and out in the plant. On any given day, I could sit down to have a meeting about a new project, and then an hour later, I am out in the facility looking at systems, collecting data and mapping out that same project.
I work closely with operations and engineering, so I get to see everything. I was assigned a couple big projects for the summer that deal with all different systems, but each day, there's hundreds of other smaller projects and tasks to get done, too.
What have been the highlights of your summer so far?
This summer definitely has been different than any other.
When I'm not interning 40+ hours during the week, I spend my weekends playing golf or relaxing with my family.
Originally, I had looked forward to swimming and being with my teammates in D.C., but with the current situation, that just wasn't going to be feasible. However, I am still super lucky to be in the D.C. area, and I love being outside and exploring the city.
How does this internship fit into your career plans?
I have always been fascinated with energy generation and sustainability, so being able to work for a company that diverts waste from landfills while creating renewable energy is very exciting.
I've learned that I really enjoy project management and have already started looking into graduate degree programs in engineering management once I complete my undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.
It's really exciting to be able to apply concepts that I've learned in the classroom to systems right in front of me. I always knew getting exposure in the field was vital, but this summer has really taught me the importance of getting out there and getting hands-on experience.
I love the dynamic environment Covanta provides, and each day I walk into the facility, I look forward to the challenges and learning experiences ahead.
Especially given the unique circumstances caused by COVID-19, what has your training been like this summer?
Since we were sent home from GW, I have been running and doing other forms of cardio almost every day in conjunction with strength and conditioning workouts.
Our coaching staff has done an incredible job sharing workouts with the team and making sure we have the resources we need to continue building strength and endurance outside of the pool.
Because of the unusual circumstances, it has been extremely difficult finding open pools to get laps in. I have been able to get a few self-guided open water swims in the Potomac and lots of running on the National Mall since starting my internship.
Luckily, the Saint James will be opening soon, so I am excited to get back to a regular swim and lift schedule, and I cannot wait to be back on campus and practicing with the team soon.
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/ Women's Swimming and Diving
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