Jenny Rodriguez, C.R. Cushing Maritime Architects

I could have sat for hours yesterday listening to Jenny and her mentor Ron Williamson discuss the many facets of this company's work. CR Cushing is one of the world's premiere maritime architectural and engineering firms, designing world class vessels and marine installations for the last 38 years. Jenny is in an outstanding position to learn highly specialized technical knowledge that would be extremely valuable if she pursued a career in any aspect of the maritime industries. As of now she is basically the assistant to the office manager, completing whatever clerical tasks and special projects that are assigned to her on a daily basis. The office is relatively small for the scale of its operations; three main partners, four or five designers, and three clerical staff.

Yesterday happened to be a very busy deadline day, as the entire office was frantically trying to complete the pumping system schematics for a 160-person cruise ship that is being built in Nova Scotia. Drawings were spread out all over the boardroom and the conversations seem to be very focused on the power and positioning of various pumps throughout the vessel. Besides the cruise ship, the company is also under two other major design deadlines. They've designed a unique self-unloading gypsum carrier which is now being constructed in Brazil. They've recently finished the detail designs for a floating pool in a barge to be used by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and this project is currently in the final stages of construction. In addition to these projects for which the firm is constantly being consulted, the owner Charlie Cushing is one of the world's foremost expert witnesses in maritime related litigations and is currently working with the Spanish government in various trials related to the sinking and spilling of an American oil tanker off the Spanish coast two years ago. He is also a renown expert on maronite, the maritime equivalent of drywall, which until the late 1980’s was often composed of 100% asbestos, and is therefore now at the center of many legal battles.

I was in some ways envious of Jenny’s internship in that she is exposed to the interworkings of these projects and expert knowledge on a regular basis. They key for her is not to rely on a process of osmosis (being passive) for her learning, but to actively seek knowledge, ask detailed questions, follow up with the designers when they have time, and make the most out of this extraordinary experience. This is true for all interns, but in this obscure field full of overlapping knowledge areas, Jenny has more than most on her plate.