Photo By Samantha Boyle | Emmett Ryan, Army Fellow at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District,...... read more read more
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Before becoming an Army Fellow at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District, Emmett Ryan spent six years in the U.S. Army Reserve while simultaneously working toward his degree at California State University-Sacramento.
Ryan joined the Army Reserves at the same time he started college in 2016. For seven years, he simultaneously studied mechanical engineering and served his nation, even deploying to Africa during this time. After completing his time with the Reserves, Ryan graduated magna cum laude from CSUS in 2023.
The transition to the workforce wasn’t easy, and Ryan recalls feeling overwhelmed.
“My degree has many applications, and it is overwhelming coming out of school and being expected to know where to go or where to apply,” he said.
By this time, Ryan had served in the Signal Corps working on radio/satellite transmissions while in the Army Reserves. In 2018, he took about a year off of school in order to deploy to Africa where he worked in Djibouti, Somalia, and Kenya. Ryan was promoted to Sergeant following his deployment.
Ryan eventually came across the Army Fellows Program. It’s designed to prepare recent graduates for a career in the Army Civilian Corps. Already having experience in the Army made Ryan more interested in a position at USACE because he knew the challenging projects he would be a part of.
“I wanted to become part of something meaningful,” he said.
Ryan is in the second year of the two-year Army Fellowship, and he has already contributed to design and construction efforts for both civil works and military projects.
That’s by design.
Fellows rotate between departments, and sometimes even other military organizations, to gain a variety of experiences.
“These rotations were challenging and engaging,” he said. “They gave me an idea of what I am passionate about and has helped me figure out what I want to do with my career.”
During his first year of the program, Ryan worked as a project engineer for USACE’s Department of Veteran Affairs Livermore project in Stockton, California.
Most of his work there consisted of conducting contract administration, reviewing plans and specifications, solving design issues during construction, and coordinating with project stakeholders and contractors.
“This position exposed me to 'real-life' mechanical systems and showed me how to take an engineering design and bring it to life,” he said.
The VA hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for this project in April that Ryan and his USACE teammates attended.
Ryan then rotated to the mechanical design section at Sacramento District Headquarters.
Here, he learned to develop and design mechanical systems for military projects specifically related to HVAC, plumbing, and fire protection. Ryan’s workload encompassed multiple projects and provided him an opportunity to travel to different project sites across the Sacramento District, which spans parts of eight states.
His next rotation placed him at the Folsom Resident Office working on the Folsom Dam Raise Project. Ryan said he gained valuable field experience while broadening his engineering knowledge and learning more about the Sacramento District’s civil works program.
These departmental rotations, made possible by the Army Fellows Program, provided Ryan the opportunity to learn different ways his mechanical engineering degree applies and aligns with his career goals – something that seems less overwhelming now than when he was initially searching for a job.
He also continued learning more about his field by attending trainings related to his field of work and found value in connecting with his more experienced peers and supervisors.
“I think the biggest perk of this program is meeting all the people as you rotate through different positions,” he said.
As Ryan finishes up his time as an Army Fellow in 2025 and readies for a permanent placement, he offers a bit of insight for those interested in the program: “The main advice I would give to anyone considering going into the Army Fellows Program is to be open, willing to learn, and do not be afraid to ask questions and talk to people. The program is ideal for anyone new to their field of work and provides the chance to experience many different positions within that field that the Army has to offer.”
Those interested in learning more about the Army Fellows program at the USACE Sacramento District can visit spk.usace.army.mil/careers.
| Date Taken: | 12.16.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.16.2024 16:23 |
| Story ID: | 487594 |
| Location: | SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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