Hannah Fitzpatrick

Current Role: Environmental Hydrogeologist, GSI Environmental Inc.

School or university attended
California State University, Long Beach (M.S Geology 2026 and B.S. Geology 2023); Orange Coast College (A.S. Geology 2021)

Area of study
Geology / Hydrogeology / Hydrogeophysics

Year interned with WRD
2023–2024 (February 2023 – December 2024)

What originally interested you about water or public service?

Cape Town’s “Day Zero” crisis was the moment water stopped feeling abstract. Seeing a major city countdown to empty taps and reading forecasts that there were other high population density cities that could face the same stress, left me unsettled in a way I couldn’t ignore. I didn’t want to only follow the news; I wanted to be part of the solution. Becoming a groundwater scientist was the most direct path I could see, since aquifers are the reserve, many places will lean on when surface water runs short. Growing up in coastal Southern California, where we depend on both local groundwater and imported supplies, made  climate change feel close to home. My internship at WRD turned that motivation into practice, basin monitoring, replenishment, and the day-to-day science that keeps a public water system accountable.

Are you a first-generation college student, a local resident, or exploring careers for the first time?

Yes, to all three. I’m a Southern California local and a first-generation college student. WRD was also my first professional experience in the water industry, it’s where I first saw what a groundwater career could look firsthand.

What did your WRD internship teach you?

I didn’t really know what a career in groundwater looked like until WRD, and I loved it. Some days I was in the field sampling wells and measuring water levels; other days I was cleaning up data, digitizing well logs, or helping get monitoring reports together. The work connected directly to replenishment and remediation in the Central and West Coast Basins, very different from the idealized textbook problems I learned to solve in school. I also saw how much those programs depend on long-term monitoring: consistent field methods, careful measurements, and QA/QC so the data are still usable years later. That’s what I took away, and it’s still how I think about data collection in my work today.

How did the experience shape your career goals?

WRD gave my interest in groundwater a concrete direction. Seeing Managed Aquifer Recharge, basin monitoring, and brackish-water reclamation in practice showed me what I was looking for: time in the field, solid data behind decisions, and problems tied to a whole basin, not just a class project. That direction carried me into graduate research on coastal aquifers and fiber-optic sensing, and recently into environmental consulting at GSI on the Water Resources and Groundwater Modeling team.

What is your role at GSI Environmental Inc. and how are you making an impact?

Four months in, I'm helping build a hydrogeologic conceptual model, working with distributed fiber-optic sensing (DAS for specific-storage estimates and DTS for Managed Aquifer Recharge), and running ERT and seismic inversions—all aimed at giving the basin better data to make recharge and supply decisions. This fall I'll join the field team installing extraction wells at the brackish-water site in Torrance, WRD's site, where I interned. It's a full-circle moment: back at the basin that first showed me this work, now on the technical side of keeping it resilient.

Hideo Ferrante

Current Role: Assistant Engineer, Hazen and Sawyer

School or university attended  Undergrad: University of California Davis,  Graduate: Loyola Marymount University

Area of study:  BS: Environmental Science,  MS: Civil Engineering

Year interned with WRD: 2024-2025

What originally interested you about water or public service? Growing up in southern California water issues were commonly talked about which sparked my interest in the field. 

Are you a first-generation college student, a local resident, or exploring careers for the first time? Local resident  

What did your WRD internship teach you?

My internship let me explore a lot of different parts of the water industry. I learned about the public procurement process, day-to-day operations at advanced water treatment facilities, and how data and digital tools are used to support engineering decisions.

How did the experience shape your career goals?

I’ve had a couple of internships in different environmental and engineering sectors, but my time at WRD and in the water industry felt the most impactful. It confirmed my interest and reinforced that I'm on the right career path.

What is your role at Hazen and Sawyer and how are you making an impact?

At Hazen I work as an engineer in the reuse group. I help design advanced water treatment facilities and have been able to apply my experience working onsite at WRD’s facilities to inform my designs. I’m even working on projects for WRD making me a key player on my project team.

Current Role: Legislative Affairs and Government Relations Intern, Southern California Association of Governments

School or university attended:

Loyola Marymount University      

Area of study: Major: Political Science. Minor: International Relations

Year interned with WRD: June 2025 – July 2026

What originally interested you about water or public service?

I've always been interested in public  service and had previously interned for elected officials, so I wanted to learn more about how a public agency operates. WRD stood out because of its mission and the opportunity to explore the intersection of water and government while making a positive impact on the community

Are you a first-generation college student, a local resident, or exploring careers for the first time? Local resident, in WRD Service Area

What did your WRD internship teach you?

This internship taught me so much, both professionally and personally. One of the most valuable skills I gained was learning how to quickly understand technical information and translate it into clear, accessible messages for the community. I also strengthened my communication skills by working with elected officials and community partners. Above all, I grew professionally by taking more initiative, becoming more confident in my abilities, and learning how to see projects through from start to finish

How did the experience shape your career goals?

Before joining WRD, most of my experience was in community outreach for elected officials. This internship expanded my perspective by introducing me to the work of a public agency and showing me how local government can make a direct impact through sustainability. It confirmed my passion for public service, strengthened my interest in environmental justice, and helped me realize that I want to build a career in local government where I can serve the community in a meaningful way.

What is your role at SCAG and how are you making an impact?

I recently accepted a position as a Legislative and Government Affairs Intern with the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). I'm excited to continue building a career in local government by supporting legislative initiatives, engaging with elected officials and community stakeholders, and contributing to regional planning efforts. I hope to make an impact by helping strengthen collaboration between local governments and the communities they serve.

Current Role: Mechanical Engineer, Long Beach Utilities Department (LBUD)

School or university attended:

California State University, Fullerton: Master of Science – Environmental Engineering (Graduate Academic Honors) – January 2025.

California State University, Long Beach: Bachelor of Science – Chemical Engineering (Summa Cum Laude) – December 2020.

Area of study: Environmental Engineering and Chemical Engineering.

Year interned with WRD: December 2018 to November 2019

What originally interested you about water or public services?

I began my journey in engineering after immigrating from Vietnam to the United States. In Vietnam, I observed the challenges associated with water infrastructure, particularly in urban areas where outdated systems led to frequent flooding and contamination issues. Witnessing these problems firsthand ignited my passion for improving public health through better infrastructure. When I moved to the U.S., I was amazed by the advanced engineering standards and the focus on sustainability in the water and wastewater industry. This contrast between the infrastructures in Vietnam and the U.S. had a profound impact on my decision to pursue a career in water and environmental engineering. I wanted to contribute to building and maintaining systems that could ensure clean, reliable water services, which are so crucial to public health and the environment.

Are you a first-generation college student, a local resident, or exploring careers for the first time? 

I am a first-generation college student.

What did your WRD internship teach you?

My internship at the Water Replenishment District (WRD) was a truly formative experience that helped lay the foundation for my career path in the water industry. It gave me the opportunity to grow not only technically, but also professionally and personally.

Through the internship, I learned the importance of workplace professionalism, clear  communication, accountability, and preparation. I was introduced to many essential aspects of engineering and project management, including preparing for a Request for Proposal, evaluating bid packages, reviewing design drawings and specifications, processing invoices, tracking budgets and project performance, and communicating effectively with project stakeholders and team members.

Beyond the technical skills, WRD taught me how to carry myself in a professional environment with humility, curiosity, and responsibility. I learned how to ask better questions, take initiative, receive feedback, and continuously improve myself academically, professionally, and emotionally.

Most importantly, my time at WRD confirmed my passion for serving communities through meaningful work in the water industry. I am deeply grateful for the mentorship, trust, and opportunities I received during my internship. The lessons I learned at WRD continue to shape the way I approach my work today, and I will always look back on that experience as an important starting point in my professional journey.

How did the experience shape your career goals?

My experience at WRD helped shape my career goals by giving me a clearer understanding of the meaningful role engineers play in protecting water resources and serving the community. Before my internship, I had an academic interest in water and environmental engineering, but WRD helped me see how that knowledge is applied in real projects, real decisions, and real communities.

Through my work, I became more interested in the intersection of engineering, project management, operations, and public service. I learned that a successful water project is not only about technical design; it also requires careful planning, clear communication, responsible budget management, collaboration with stakeholders, and a strong commitment to the people who depend on that water system every day.

That experience encouraged me to pursue a career where I can continue contributing to reliable, sustainable, and resilient water infrastructure. It also motivated me to keep growing as a well-rounded professional — someone who is technically competent, thoughtful in communication, accountable in decision-making, and always willing to learn.

Most importantly, WRD confirmed that I wanted my career to be rooted in service. It showed me that engineering can be both practical and purposeful, and it inspired me to continue building a career in the water industry where my work can make a lasting and positive impact on the community.

What is your role at LBUD and how are you making an impact?

I am a California-licensed Mechanical Engineer with the Long Beach Utilities Department (LBUD), Treatment Plant Division, where I support the reliable operation, regulatory compliance, and long-term improvement of LBUD’s water treatment facilities.

In my role, I manage and support a wide range of departmental programs and projects, including facility improvements, major maintenance and rehabilitation work, optimization studies, regulatory compliance, budgeting, procurement, and contractor coordination. I also review design plans, specifications, submittals, and technical memorandums to ensure projects meet LBUD standards while supporting operational efficiency, safety, and water quality.

One of the most meaningful parts of my work is helping translate technical needs into practical solutions that benefit both the utility and the community. Some example projects include the inspection and repair of the dual-media gravity filters at the Groundwater Treatment Plant (GWTP), the implementation study of a new maintenance management system for treatment plant assets, the department-wide asset management initiative to improve how LBUD plans, tracks, maintains, and prioritizes critical infrastructures, as well as the development and maintenance of the service line inventory to meet Lead and Copper Rule Revisions requirements.

I also help administer programs related to recycled water service, groundwater production well performance, annual planning and budgeting, operational reporting, safety initiatives, and treatment plant process improvements. Through data analysis, standard operating procedures, training modules, and coordination with operations and technical staff, my goal is to help strengthen consistency, reliability, and safety across treatment plant operations.

The impact I hope to make is simple but meaningful: to help ensure that LBUD continues to provide safe, reliable, and sustainable water service to the Long Beach community.  Whether through regulatory compliance, infrastructure improvements, process optimization, or knowledge presenting at industry conferences such as the American Water Works Association (AWAA) Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE), I am grateful to contribute to work that protects public health and supports the future of our water system.

Current Role: Public Affairs Representative, Water Replenishment District

School or university attended: Cal State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH)

Area of study: Communications & Public Relations 

Year interned with WRD: 2019 – 2021; hired on full-time February 2022 

 What originally interested you about water or public service?

Before I really understood the full scope of a public affairs professional, I had already shown interest in mass communication disciplines, stakeholder relations, maintaining a brand’s overall public image and event planning.  

Aare you a first-generation college student, a local resident, or exploring careers for the first time? I grew up in Division 3, I was always interested in community focused initiatives, digital media relations + engagement, and hosting community events (anything that had to do with being a Public Relations practitioner).  

What did your WRD internship teach you? 

As an intern at WRD, I learned many things that I can apply throughout my professional career. Some key takeaways were: time management, never be afraid to ask questions, triple check everything, and presentation is key. My favorite is, your network is your net worth. As a communicator, it’s important to maintain relationships, especially the professional ones - never know when you’re going to need something that can better serve your agency in a positive way.

 How did the experience shape your career goals? 

My experience at WRD helped shape my career goals by showing me how public agencies can make a lasting impact on the communities they serve. Through my work in public affairs, I learned that effective communication is about more than sharing information—it is about building trust, educating the public, and inspiring people to become engaged stewards of critical resources like water. These lessons continue to influence my work beyond WRD.

 What is your role at WRD and how are you making an impact? As a Public Affairs Representative, WRD, I help connect our communities to the critical work of protecting and sustaining local groundwater supplies that serve southern Los Angeles County. Through community outreach, educational programs, social media, public events, and strategic communications (internally and externally).I strive to make an impact by collaborating with my External Affairs team, by building public awareness of water reliability, conservation, and groundwater sustainability while creating meaningful opportunities for community engagement.