As August began, most 澳门足彩app interns returned to their respective schools with new skills, new stories and new experiences to further their career pursuits. And while the Summer Internship Program was a rich learning experience for its 58 participants, their sponsors say that their interns left a lasting impression on them and on 澳门足彩app.
Chris Flagg, Director of Design – A&E Group Operations Principal, referred to his sponsor experience as “reverse mentorship.”
“They give us the opportunity to learn as well,” Flagg said. “They come in with a fresh perspective, a fresh outlook, new ideas, and new technology. It only helps us, especially people like myself, who have been around for a long time, to be exposed to some of the new levels of thinking in the architectural world.”
With his team working on multiple projects and renovations in the Jacksonville, Florida area, such as designing the South Bank Riverwalk extension, Orange Park town planning and a master plan and historical renovations for Mayport Village, the interns’ contributions began with their enthusiasm and attitude. To Flagg, the new ideas and energy the interns bring into the office is indispensable.
University of Florida architecture students Camila Moreno and Chloe Bryan have worked with Flagg all summer. Together, the interns have worked on editing and creating floor plans, exterior building designs and sheet layouts for Madison Charter School, a K-12 school in Madison, Florida. Kelly Mankinen, interning in the same office, contributed research, graphic design and marketing on the Town of Orange Park Strategic Vision Plan, a project focused on her hometown.
For Kennedy Setser, Electrical Design Associate, the contributions of an intern were invaluable. Setser was a member of the Summer Internship Program in 2019, graduated from UNF in Spring 2020 and officially began as a full-time 澳门足彩app team member the same day her intern, Amelia Greco, joined the program. As a new team member and an alumnus of the program, supporting any intern in their work was extremely important to her.
Greco, a University of Florida electrical engineering student, tackled multiple projects over the summer under Setser’s guidance, contributing to electrical design plans including lighting, power and systems plans for an In-N-Out facility in Chino, California, and renovating a Frito-Lay manufacturing building to include office spaces in Irving, Texas.
“I could really see Amelia becoming this great designer or great engineer,” Setser said. “She’s really helping us out with all of our projects. She’s grasped so much so quickly.”
Quincy McNames, Senior Project Manager for the CPG Construction group, said his interns, Scott Martin and Jake Torres, were engaged on a range of tasks and projects. Currently, his office is working to upgrade cooling systems on an accelerated, three-week schedule for Blue Diamond Growers.
“I try to engage them on everything,” McNames said. “I try to give them an experience as a whole of what it’s like to manage a project.”
Martin and Torres, construction management students at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, have been assigned as the primary contacts for all shipping and delivery inquiries for the Blue Diamond project, communicating with subcontractors and vendors to keep the project’s deliveries on schedule.
When the summer comes to a close, to many sponsors, seeing an intern return to school is losing a team member.
“These young professionals are contributing. When they leave again, we’ll have a void,” Flagg said. “That’s a sign of an incredible successful internship program, but also an incredible selection of folks that take part in that program.”
About the writer: Ashton Erickson is a 澳门足彩app 2020 summer intern working in the Corporate Marketing department. She is a sophomore at the University of Florida majoring in Marketing and Economics.
