REA Summer Engineering Experience
What is the SEE Program?
Rice Engineering Alumni launched the the REA Summer Engineering Experience (SEE) program in the fall of 2020 to help a wide range of students obtain their first engineering experience in a professional work environment. We believe that students who have been accepted to Rice and want to be engineers, can be engineers. However, many students often do not get an opportunity to experience real world engineering and might become disillusioned with engineering. As a result, we target early tenure students who are completing their freshmen or sophomore year, but we also prioritize working with juniors who have not yet had an engineering experience.
We work extensively with the Rice Emerging Scholars Program (RESP) to identify promising candidates and to support applicants through resume reviews, mock interviews, and informational panels. RESP’s mission is to ensure that students of high potential who attended under-resourced high schools, particularly low-income and first-generation students, persist, thrive, and graduate at the same rate as their peers, and that these students achieve their academic and professional aspirations as scientists and engineers. We also work with other Rice engineering organizations like the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
Our opportunities and panels are open to all interested students.
Since the placement of our first two interns at Blade Energy Partners in the summer of 2021, our program has grown significantly and had tremendous success connecting students with host companies. Check out our social media pages throughout the summer to learn more about what our SEE interns are up to!
Prospective Host Companies:
Interested in hosting a Rice Engineering Student for a summer internship?
The REA Summer Engineering Experience reviews prospective Host Companies on a rolling basis!
We seek engineering, technology, and professional service firms looking to provide internships and experiences to high-potential students. This program is part of the Rice Engineering Alumni effort to promote the success and retention of diverse engineering students at Rice University. Our primary program focus is helping students obtain their first engineering experience in a professional work environment. We work with all sizes of companies from start-ups to Fortune 500.
If you are interested in hosting an internship as part of the Summer Engineering Experience program, please send us an email at rea-see@googlegroups.com. You can also learn more about the program here.
“Our summer intern made significant contributions to our team, demonstrating creativity, technical acumen, and initiative. This was our second year working with SEE and it was easy to get started. Our team was impressed with the quality of applicants to choose from. We have enjoyed and benefited from hiring SEE interns and plan to continue.”
Interested Students:
Applications are open on a rolling basis!
The REA is highly interested in helping you achieve professional success. Our REA Summer Engineering Opportunities will be posted to 12twenty. Due to different host company schedules, there will be multiple postings. We encourage students to visit the Center for Career Development to improve their resumes and practice interviews. Our REA mentors are available to help add industry context to resumes and practice interviews. Want to message us directly? Send us an email us at: rea-see@googlegroups.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Alums interested in Volunteering or Mentoring:
For each REA SEE participant, we seek to pair them with a non-host company employee to be available to provide guidance. In past years, mentors have worked with students on communication skills for presentations, developing resume descriptions of the internship, and answering professional etiquette questions. If you are interested in supporting, please contact us at rea-see@googlegroups.com.
Please also consider making a donation to support this program. Donations are used to help interns with summer living expenses as well as provide stipends to students who might be placed a smaller start-up companies.
“I struggled with imposter syndrome in college, so I’m especially passionate about supporting students who feel nervous or unsure as they step into their first professional internship. I want them to know those feelings are normal — and temporary. I enjoy helping students build confidence, learn how to ask for support from mentors and colleagues, and navigate the unwritten ‘how-to’s’ of the workplace. From workplace etiquette to advocating for yourself, I’m committed to making sure no student feels like they have to figure it all out alone.”