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Isabellah Linder’s interest in public safety and innovative design spurred her to major in civil engineering at ��«Ӱҵ.

Now, she’s turning her passion into real-world experience through a co-op with Kokosing, Inc., one of the largest construction contractors in the Midwest and mid-Atlantic. This summer, she’s contributing to two bridge projects on the Ohio Turnpike near Cleveland.

This marks Isabellah’s third summer co-oping with Kokosing after connecting with the firm her freshman year at ��«Ӱҵ’s fall career fair. Her exceptional work, including in estimating that has helped Kokosing land new projects, has allowed her to steadily take on more complex tasks.

Last summer, she played a role in the high-profile I-75 bridge project in Toledo over the Maumee River. These projects reflect the kind of community impact that motivates her.

She also loves the fast-paced, hands-on environment of construction sites. She values the chance to chat with construction workers and observe their work.

“It’s extremely important, as an engineer, to know what work is being done and the production rate of that work,” she said.

One special aspect of Isabellah’s co-op is getting to work alongside her dad, a Kokosing superintendent with 17 years of experience in highway construction. While he’s not her direct supervisor, he often invites her to tag along on his job site visits, giving her a front-row seat to day-to-day-operations.

“Being able to walk onto a job site and identify every piece of equipment and material and know why it’s there, has been one of my biggest learnings,” she said.

Her dad couldn’t be prouder.

“He always says to me, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if you were my boss someday?’” said Isabellah.

She hopes to make that vision a reality. She’d like to join Kokosing full-time after graduating in May 2026.

“Kokosing is a great place to work and they offer so many opportunities,” she said. “These co-ops have given me a firm foundation to begin a career in highway and bridge construction right after graduation.”