This summer’s internship program has brought in an exciting and driven group of young professionals. One of them is Adriana Jimenez-Willis, an intern in the GIS department, which stands for Geospatial Information Services. Recently, I had the chance to sit down with her to chat about her day-to-day role while taking note of her experience.
Q1: What school do you go to and what do you study?
Adriana is a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (go heels!), going into her fourth year. Double majoring in political and environmental science gives her a unique perspective on our natural world. She explains that she likes to focus on ecology because “I like puzzles, and I feel like ecology seeks to understand the puzzle that is the natural world.” Adriana also enjoys learning about evolution and the fascinating ways life has adapted over time.
Q2: What kind of projects have you been working on?
“There are basically two big sides to what I’m doing”, she explains. One of those sides is customer service. Customers will ask for the geographic records of their property, and Adriana ensures they get all the necessary information and mapping details. The other part is editing the maps themselves. Projects she supports include maintaining datasets and updating internal maps used by Charlotte Water employees. She emphasizes that the Planning and Construction department greatly benefits from having these maps and that they are a crucial part of their operation.
Q3: What’s something you didn’t expect to learn at this internship?
“I didn’t realize how extensive the systems were and how many people contribute to the process of our water. It’s crazy to realize how much goes into it.” As interns, we participate in the Summer Exploration Program, where we tour wastewater treatment plants and rivers, develop projects, and much more. Adriana talked about how the first tour we went on, which was at the Lee Duke water treatment plant, opened her eyes to everything behind getting the water to customers.
Q4: Do you have any mentors or coworkers who have helped shape your experience?
“Our GIS group is 12 people”, she tells us, “I could find many good things to say about each and every one of them.”
Adriana says that her coworkers are the most fun part of her job, that they’re nice, funny, always willing to help, and that there’s a different vibe when many are in the office at once. “Special shout-out to Amelia Albert because she’s the one who’s trained me and gotten her hands dirty with all of the fine details and tedious stuff. She answers my most specific questions, and I appreciate her.”
Talking with Adriana offered an inspiring glimpse into the vital work behind the scenes at Charlotte Water. Her passion for GIS and dedication to learning highlight the importance of innovative, skilled professionals in keeping our community’s essential services running smoothly. We’re excited to see where her journey takes her next!