Daniel Hollingsworth, an engineering design student set to graduate in May, is not one to just coast through his final semester. Though his days are less hectic than usual, with an internship, a senior design project, a student organization leadership role, and some downtime with his friends, he still has his foot on the gas, the pedal to the metal, until he reaches the finish line.
Most days, he can be found at the UAB Materials Processing & Applications Development Center, also known as the MPAD, with a half dozen fellow engineering students. They’re working on their collaborative Baja car. It’s an off-road vehicle—kind of like a dune buggy—that they’ve designed, fabricated, tested, tweaked, and will ultimately race at Barber Motorsports Park.
UAB has been a fast track to gaining hands-on experience for this Georgia native, who’s majoring in engineering design with a minor in mechanical engineering.
Though his coursework is light now that he’s in his final semester, his days begin at 6 a.m. That’s when he gets up and gets ready to leave his apartment in Birmingham to make the 25-minute drive to Leeds, Alabama, where he reports to Hubbell Power Systems each day. As a product design intern, he works with engineers who design utility pole components such as insulators, clamps, and brackets.
This is his second internship; his first was in 2025 with Honda’s manufacturing plant in Lincoln, Alabama. The Honda co-op allowed him to shadow automotive engineers and learn the gist of what they do on a day-to-day basis.
“These experiences have taught me how to think and problem-solve like an engineer,” he said, noting that he may one day pursue a doctorate in automotive design. “I have learned how to look at a challenge and effectively understand what the root of the problem is and then brainstorm ways to solve the problem.”
But he recognizes that engineering training is just one aspect of the education he has received at UAB.
“During my freshman year, I was not involved with anything except academics. I was stuck in the mindset that as an engineering student I would have no time to join organizations and clubs and still keep good grades with a 15-credit hour load,” he said, noting that his perspective changed during his sophomore year. “That’s when I really stepped outside my comfort zone. I began to feel like there should be more to college than just learning. I started to look at organizations on campus to take my mind off the academic world for a few times a week. I began to make connections with people, attend events, and even host my own as a resident assistant for Blazer Hall. This is when I finally started to really enjoy my college experience.”
Soon enough, he gained the momentum to tackle additional student leadership roles, such as serving with student government, the School of Engineering ambassador program, and Esperanza, UAB’s Hispanic student organization that provides mentorship and professional development.
“UAB specifically has allowed me to broaden my horizons and understanding of engineering, as well as improve my skillset for a professional career. It has prepared me as a person by allowing me to meet so many different types of people and learn to network with them. Because UAB has such a diverse student body, I was able to experience and appreciate so many new cultures and backgrounds.”
For this racecar enthusiast, strategy, practice, pacing, and momentum have enabled him to finish strong. And once commencement is behind him, he’s off to the races once again, this time seeking a job as a full-time professional engineer. He expects to stay in Birmingham—unless, of course, one of the dream jobs with a Formula 1 racing team comes through in the final lap of his job hunt. He’s applied for positions seeking race engineers and vehicle performance engineers. Luckily for him, wherever he ends up, he has measurable performance stats to help him on his way.
“UAB specifically has allowed me to broaden my horizons and understanding of engineering, as well as improve my skillset for a professional career. It has prepared me as a person by allowing me to meet so many different types of people and learn to network with them. Because UAB has such a diverse student body, I was able to experience and appreciate so many new cultures and backgrounds.”
—Daniel Hollingsworth
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See what Daniel's day looks like from morning to evening.
In His Own Words
How I start my day: I get up around 6 a.m. every day, take a shower, get ready, and then check my email and eat breakfast. I always have a morning coffee!
My priorities and how I juggle them: This year is my lightest load with only a part-time co-op and one on-campus organization. In the past, I have been a resident assistant, engineering ambassador, Esperanza graphic design coordinator and co-director, and student government engineering senator. On top of this I have worked in two research labs. The first one was a physics lab with Dr. Wenli Bi, where we researched superconductive material properties under super low temperature and also super high pressure. The second was in the MPAD where we made ballistic fiber-reinforced composite panels.
I have always taken at least 12 credit hours and sometimes 15 a semester. To balance my commitments, I used my Google calendar and made sure to document meetings, classes, and work schedules. I also made sure to give myself some breaks during my day to prevent burnout. I would go through each class syllabus and write down every assignment, test, or project for the semester and their due dates. To stay on top of it all, I would offset the due dates by a couple of days to make sure the tasks were done before they were actually due.
How I found my calling: I knew I wanted to be an engineer when I was a kid. I would often let my imagination run wild and build all sorts of creations with Lego. From large sets to my own ideas, I have always been obsessed with building. I also loved to sketch and draw and would often design my own furniture, houses, or other products that caught my interest.
Something interesting I’m working on: I have recently started documenting my engineering journey on Instagram reels and TikTok. It’s sort of like a visual resume so I can record projects, skills, and hobbies that I want to show off, such as photography or computer-aided design.
A resource I can’t live without: Spotify. Music helps me get so much done. It motivates me and makes mundane and boring tasks more enjoyable. Music also activates a creative side of my brain and allows me to think freely if I am in a brainstorming mood.
How I stay curious: Curiosity for me comes naturally. I am always asking “why?” I look at things we use and see every day and wonder how they work and what improvements I could make to those processes. Being curious on its own motivates me to dive deeper into topics that I enjoy, like motorsports, space, and aeronautics.
A person who changed my life: My girlfriend, Sydney, has definitely changed my life in so many positive ways. She is the one who convinced me to come to UAB and further my education after high school. She motivates me to better myself and my educational and professional habits. I have learned so much from her and her journey. Things like the importance of networking and building connections, researching topics that interest me, and documenting professional progress are just a few of the habits she has helped me prioritize.
Best piece of advice from a UAB professor: The best piece of advice has been to just start on a project or attempt to solve a problem as soon as it is assigned. This has helped me numerous times in my academic life as well as my personal life.
If you come across a challenge, rather than pondering on it for days or just thinking about doing it, just start it. Even if starting means to plan out a timeline, do that. Any progress is always better than no progress. You will thank yourself in the future for being proactive and getting a task done sooner rather than later. It also improves your ability to think and work efficiently. Being able to brainstorm possible solutions gets your mind in the right space to problem solve.
This piece of advice has dramatically improved my ability to manage multiple tasks and decreased my procrastination on projects. Every time I am given a problem, I immediately begin to think of ways it can be solved and write them down.
Advice I’d give to the next class of students: Step outside your comfort zone and try new things. As cliché as it sounds, it’s true!
Initially, I had no intention of joining organizations. For about a year I was just focused on my grades and quickly got burnt out. Then I decided to look into organizations and joined student government since my girlfriend was part of it already and seemed to enjoy it. Once I joined, I met so many new people and built connections and made friends that I still talk with today. I then started to join other organizations and gained valuable leadership experience.
How I end my day: I like to end my day by cooking a nice dinner with my girlfriend while listening to music, spending time with my cats, and working on creative content like editing videos or brainstorming ideas for new ones.
Did you know?
The School of Engineering boasts a Guaranteed Internship Program, an initiative that aims to match undergraduate students with employers who provide industry experience and workforce skills. Learn more about Engineering’s Career Services, a hub for both students and alumni.