CDM Smith Intern Raises Thousands for JerseySTEM Through Innovative T-shirt Design 

BOSTON— Back by popular demand, CDM Smith hosted its intern t-shirt design contest once again this summer. The firm’s 114 summer interns were invited to submit designs that reflected their experience at the company. Not only would the winning design be distributed to all interns to celebrate an unfor­get­table summer of expe­ri­en­tial learning and fun, but it would also be made available for purchase to all employees with profits and a matching contri­bu­tion benefiting a charity of the winner’s choosing. 

This year’s winner, envi­ron­men­tal engineering intern Megha Sawhney, took inspiration from the projects she collab­o­rated on as well as the many other service offerings at the firm to create a dynamic design with an emphasis on envi­ron­men­tal preser­va­tion. Megha chose to donate profits to JerseySTEM, a New Jersey based orga­ni­za­tion that offers STEM programming to youth in under-served communities and girls to bridge gaps in the workforce. JerseySTEM partners with local schools, other service orga­ni­za­tions and corpo­ra­tions to create STEM learning experiences for middle school students.

“New Jersey is my home state, and it is also the most densely populated state in the country, which can cause many students, especially those in under-served groups, to be overlooked in school and especially in STEM education,” said Sawhney. “The STEM field is tradi­tion­ally male dominated, and as a woman in engineering I am dedicated to helping close that gap and to being an example for those I can. I wanted to share my interests with others and give those who want it the opportunity to get involved in this amazing field!”

CDM Smith employees and alumni across the world rallied around Megha’s mission to provide oppor­tu­ni­ties for STEM education and promote careers in the field. Staff were also eager to support the firm’s industry leading internship program and applaud the creativity and skill demon­strated by this year’s cohort. The excitement led to a total of 468 t-shirts sold and $3,320 raised for JerseySTEM. Inspired by Megha’s passion and impressed with the impact she made in such a short time, the firm’s Executive Leadership Team matched the original total, increasing the donation to $6,640.

“Megha is a shining example of the talent, passion, and innovative spirit that we see each summer in our internship program,” said Chairman and CEO Tim Wall. “Not only did she contribute to impactful project work, but she also made a huge difference in her community. Giving back is central to our culture at CDM Smith and we are so proud of Megha’s efforts to increase access to STEM education.”

Megha Sawhney grew up in Hills­bor­ough, New Jersey and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Purdue University. She spent her summer at CDM Smith working on impactful projects and delivering legendary client service while building a strong network of peers and colleagues. 

To learn more about internship and co-op oppor­tu­ni­ties at CDM Smith, visit www.cdmsmith.com/students. 

CDM Smith is a privately owned engineering and construc­tion firm providing legendary client service and smart solutions in water, environment, trans­porta­tion, energy and facilities. Passionate about our work and invested in each other, we are inspired to think and driven to solve the world's envi­ron­men­tal and infra­struc­ture challenges.