Engineering in

Ellis County

The Purpose:
For Capstone, I interned with Mr. Joseph Jackson, the Ellis County
Assistant Engineer, and I assisted in the remodel and renovation designs
of the Bethel United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall. I worked
closely with the members of the church and a contractor to create my
own design piece, a ramp, for the Fellowship Hall. To share what I learn
in my internship, I presented to my 4-H club on March 21st, and I
discussed the Engineering Design process and how it relates to one of my
4-H contests.

Preparing to Be a Civil Engineer:

I chose the internship and project of my Capstone based on my passion
for Civil Engineering, which is also what I want to pursue as a career. I
have aspired to be a civil engineer since 10th grade, when I took the Civil
Engineering and Architecture elective course. Since then, I have had my
heart set on being a civil engineer. I plan on attending the University of
Texas at Arlington in the fall of 2016, and I will pursue my Bachelors of
Science in Civil Engineering.

Supplemental

By Dakotah Van Huss

Career Information:
Civil Engineering: City Infrastructure
Degree
Requirements:

Bachelors at the minimum, and a

specific Professional Engineer license
in some cases.
Starting Salary: $52,900 (annually)
Median Salary: $82,050 (annually)
Top Salary:
$129,850 (annually)
Job Outlook:
Always needed, and expected to grow
20% in the next 10 years.

http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes172051.htm

The Internship:
For my internship, I worked with Joseph Jackson, the Ellis County Assistant
Civil Engineer, to learn the ropes of a county engineering job. I met with Joseph
every Thursday afternoon from 2:00 to around 5:00, and we did a variety of
different activities while I was there. I worked with mapping programs, such as
G.I.S, learning how to create watersheds, and finding rainfall amounts for
specific points. I also went out to different county building projects with Joseph,
including bridges, dams, the new Elections building, a record storage building,
and county construction projects that he is assisting on. Joseph works at the Ellis
County Courts and Administration Building, located at 109 S. Jackson St, in
Waxahachie, Texas, in the Engineering Department.

The Fellowship Hall:

This year, I assisted the members of Bethel United Methodist Church in
designing a ramp for their Fellowship Hall. I had several specific criteria
for the ramp design, and it had to be compliant with the American
Disabilities Act. I created two ramp designs. The first was a simple
sloped ramp that ran from the door of the sanctuary to the door of the
Fellowship Hall. It took up the sidewalk, so I created another design with
turns to avoid the sidewalk. I researched ADA codes to make sure it was
compliant, and I am hoping it will be considered in the renovation plan.

Photo Annotations:
Reviewing a potential detention pond for a sub division

Mr. Joseph Jackson, my mentor

Fellowship Hall Ramp Design A
Fellowship Hall Ramp Design B

The Fellowship Hall at Bethel United Methodist Church

Bethel United Methodist Church
The Historical Marker at Bethel United Methodist Church

Sizing a pipe culvert on Grande Casa Road

Reviewing a potential detention pond for a sub division

The Ellis County Courts and Administration Building where Mr. Jackson works.