Post by Cornell University

This young alum’s job is a real roller coaster ride 🎢 When Hayley Sopko Duffy ’16, BS ’17, drops her three-year-old son off at daycare, the toddler has been known to declare that he’d rather go to work with her. It’s hard to blame him: after all, his mom helps run one of the nation’s leading theme parks. Duffy is director of design and engineering at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the Virginia destination that offers adrenaline-pumping roller coasters, family-friendly rides, seasonal festivals, animal exhibits, and more. It’s her job to oversee capital projects in the 130-acre theme park, as well as at Water Country USA, its sister facility and the largest water park in the state, including hiring and working with vendors who design and build rides, theming elements, lighting, and sound systems. “It’s mostly project management, but it’s really fun, because every day you’re out on site looking at something—and it’s not just roller coasters, it’s restaurants, bathrooms, anything in the park,” says the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering alumna. “It’s a nice, fast-paced environment.” Read more at the link in our comments.