Behind the Scenes: Benesch Summer Internship Program
In June, Benesch welcomed a record 98 interns into our summer internship program. Over the last two months, these students have had the opportunity to get hands-on work experience both in the office and out in the field.
As the summer program approaches its final week, a handful of our interns offer a look behind the scenes at what they’ve been dedicating their summers to and how they’ve been impacted by their Benesch intern experience.
Contributing to Project Teams
A major part of the Benesch internship experience is allowing students to put what they’ve learned in the classroom to the test on real projects in their communities. For Brandon Kurzynski and Chris Teeter, that meant working on the rehabilitation of the 98-year-old Holton Street Bridge in Milwaukee.
“To improve the condition of the bridge, the project called for replacing steel members as is. This required Chris and I to look through 100-year-old shop drawings in order to verify the dimensions of steel that we are replacing,” explained Brandon. “We were also responsible for keeping track of all steel items and quantities. It has made us more confident engineers knowing that we can handle such a complex task.”
Working from our Lincoln, Nebraska office, Abby Metschke had the opportunity to assist on several projects. She worked on redlines, drawing typical and culvert cross sections, calculating excavation quantities, and creating and annotating sheets. Abby also had the opportunity to put together survey maps and project manuals for water/wastewater projects in South Dakota.
When reflecting on her experience, Abby shared: “The most valuable experience I’ve been given is the freedom to complete tasks in my own unique way that fosters my continued learning and enhances my problem-solving skills.”
Alex Lohin’s summer in our Pottsville, PA office was dedicated to bridge design and inspection. Most notably, he worked on the design of a small bridge rehabilitation.
“The project was a simple barrier removal and replacement, and I was involved in the design process from start to finish, which is something I haven’t been able to experience with larger projects I’ve worked on.”
Finding Their Passion
For Riley Massey and Raegan Tanner, interning with Benesch helped them plan for the future.
While Riley had always enjoyed her structural engineering classes at Clemson University, the senior’s work with Benesch’s Structural Engineering Bridge Group in Tennessee has reaffirmed her decision to pursue a career in structural engineering.
Working on structural projects, like the I-24 twin bridges in Sequatchie, has solidified my interest in structural engineering.
Raegan, a geology student at Texas A&M University, spent the summer interning with our Geotechnical Team in Lincoln, Nebraska working on subsurface exploration—an experience that opened her eyes to all of her career options.
This internship inspired me to focus on how geology, engineering and construction interact and helped me realize what I’m passionate about.
Seeing Projects Come to Life
A group of interns in Colorado had the opportunity to visit the project site for the bridge construction of E-470 over Pena Blvd. They observed the setting of six girders using a gantry crane rig.
“Being an intern on the structural-bridge team, this project had many similarities to other projects I’ve contributed to in the office. In many instances, I’m now able to recall this site visit when completing my design work,” said Slade Hopper, a civil engineering student at Colorado State University.
Making an Impact
In Atlanta, Sarah Dias has been working on the Georgia Department of Transportation Railroad Safety Program. The team is responsible for analyzing crossings between railroad tracks and roadways and ensuring their safety. Sarah performed signing and marking updates and went on several site visits to check for safety and add recommendations.
“It has been very rewarding to see how important this work is. During two site visits, we could see cars almost get stuck in the tracks and hit the barrier gates. If we didn’t do these periodic checks, so many accidents could happen. This field work gave me a better understanding of why our work is important,” explained Sarah.
Learning New Skills
Throughout the program, Benesch interns are encouraged to take advantage of the myriads of skill development opportunities available to them. For Chloe Lee in our Tennessee office, this allowed her to develop her professional and technical skills.
“During my internship I have had the opportunity to focus on and fine-tune my soft skills including critical thinking, teamwork and collaboration, which will help me in my future career no matter where it takes me. I have also had the benefit of refining my technical skills by performing work on projects in OpenRoads, Microstation, Revu Bluebeam and Excel—all of which are vital software tools when working in the transportation discipline and will give me so many more opportunities in the future.”
This skills development is further supported by Benesch’s emphasis on mentorship.
“The time that project managers/PEs take out of their day to sit down and work with me has been really valuable,” shared Penn State student Alison McCord. “I know they are limited on time with other projects, but being able to learn from them is an experience I will never forget.”
Next week, the interns will present their final projects to Benesch leadership and officially complete the Summer Internship Program.
Follow Benesch on LinkedIn for continued updates on the program and related news.
