Michaela Manzi ’21, a computer engineering major in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA), has been offered a full-time position as an associate engineer in Eversource’s telecommunication engineering department as she begins her senior year at UHart. Manzi plans to continue interning there during the upcoming school year, then start immediately after graduation next spring.
Manzi has interned with Eversource since the summer after her sophomore year in 2019. She was able to continue her internship through the school year, which she says really helped her build a deeper understanding of the work she was doing, giving her the chance to take on her own projects. After being with the company for a full year, the job offer was presented to her as she completed her internship over the summer of 2020. Manzi’s main role is the liaison for the department as a resource on numerous fiber projects and to connect each substation back to the corporate network. “This internship has given me great experience on how to work in a corporate setting with many groups of people. Most of the projects I am involved in require coordination with many different departments.”
Manzi is pursuing a degree in computer engineering after taking a few computer science courses in high school. “I really enjoyed the challenge and problem-solving aspects of it, but I also wanted something a little more hands-on,” she says. “University of Hartford’s computer engineering program was the perfect blend of the computer science that I liked from high school and the hands-on work of electrical engineering.”
Manzi also found the computer engineering program appealing because it gave her the option to learn more about computer science and electrical engineering without having to pick between the majors. “I have so much flexibility in the type of job I can have, which was very intriguing to me when I was in high school and not sure exactly what I wanted to do.”
Michaela Manzi ’21, computer engineeringI chose to attend UHart because I really liked the idea of having a smaller class size, especially for those hard engineering classes. Once I became a student in CETA, the College’s staff was more than helpful and always supportive.
Manzi has found true success during her time at UHart. Being involved in various clubs and organizations on campus attributed to such success. She is a member of the CETA Student Ambassadors & Leadership Society, Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and Delta Zeta Sorority, in which she serves as the treasurer on the executive board. She also served as the events coordinator and secretary for the Commuter Student Association. She is grateful for the organizations such as SWE that host exciting events with guest speakers, allowing her to connect with women from her dream field.
Manzi is always willing to speak to prospective students interested in a career in engineering, technology, or architecture. She says she enjoys being part of CETA’s Leadership Society because she has a chance to interact with incoming and prospective students. She says, “CETA is such a great College to be a part of. I’m always excited to help students start their journey here.”