From Classroom to Career: How EWB-USA Prepares Students for Careers
When students join Engineers Without Borders USA, they are doing more than just skills-based volunteering. They’re building the skills, confidence, and connections that launch careers and create lasting impact. It is through these projects that they step into real-world, community-driven problem solving that prepares them for careers in engineering and beyond.
From collaborating on international infrastructure projects to learning how to work and communicate across cultures, students involved with EWB-USA gain real-world experience that employers and graduate schools alike value. Whether they're designing a water system in Rwanda or managing chapter operations at home, students learn project management, teamwork, technical writing, and community-centered design.
“Being part of Engineers Without Borders USA indicates a student’s willingness to engage in hands-on work along with theoretical problem solving, which is at the core of our development engineering ideology. These students understand community-engaged learning, social impact, and the importance of partnerships.” - Valerie Moss, Assistant Director of Student Affairs at UC Berkeley’s Blum Center for Developing Economies.
In the 2023 Volunteer Experience Survey, a majority of student volunteers reported significant professional growth, and many landed internships or full-time roles thanks to what they learned in EWB-USA. One student summed it up best: “EWB-USA gave me the connections, networking opportunities, and the chance to work on a real-world global development project with true impact.”
Katie Byrnes, now a process mechanical engineer at Brown & Caldwell, credits EWB-USA with jumpstarting her path. “I didn’t even know what environmental engineering was until I joined EWB-USA,” she said. “The experience shaped my career, gave me confidence, and helped me land a job where I could keep making a difference.”
The EWB-USA experience doesn’t end at graduation.
For Katie, what she thought would be her final trip as a student volunteer turned out to be just the beginning. Encouraged by her EWB-USA mentor Chuck Draga, she transitioned into a mentorship role. Katie is now supporting the same Miami University chapter she once led as a student.
“I remember thinking ‘I'm 22, I don't know very much’ but I do think now that there are things that young people can do - being someone who understands the project process, travel, and [navigating project steps in Salesforce] so I ended up staying involved to understand what being a mentor looked like for me - as opposed to a project manager.”
Now, Katie mentors three EWB-USA university chapters and continues to travel with student teams. “It’s easy to lose touch after college,” she says, “but you don’t have to. You don’t need a PE license [to be a good mentor]. You just need to care and show up.”
She’s far from alone. Across the country, EWB-USA alumni are staying connected by joining professional chapters, mentoring student teams, and applying their expertise through national support groups. Graduates can also explore opportunities with Impactful Investors, partners that share EWB-USA’s values and offer pathways to deepen their impact across sectors. This is how Kaite found her role at Brown & Caldwell.
With Engineers Without Borders USA, students don’t just learn: they lead. They co-create sustainable, community-led infrastructure that empowers people and builds resilience for generations to come. And in the process, they develop the confidence, skills, and clarity that shape their futures; both as engineers and as global citizens.
Whether you’re a student, a recent grad, or a seasoned professional, EWB-USA provides a space to keep growing, giving, and making a lasting difference.
Learn more about volunteering with EWB-USA.