We want to give a big shout out to the interns that joined us this summer! Our Minneapolis office hosted 16 interns from 15 different colleges across the country, working at various project sites throughout Minnesota and Iowa.
“This is truly a symbiotic relationship. We learn from each other through an immersive, hands-on experience,” said Kelly McNamara, Director of Operations for the Minneapolis office. We’re investing in our future, as many of the interns come back and become life-long Mortenson team members, contributing significantly to the betterment of our organization.”
Each of these talented individuals was selected for demonstrating leadership skills that fit Mortenson's culture and have strong aptitude in their field of study. They were partnered with mentors who acclimated them to our organization.
Interns and their teams faced unique challenges given the circumstances that 2020 has brought on, but in true Mortenson fashion they rose to the occasion with inspirational grit and resiliency. We asked each of the interns about their experience and this is what they had to say.
Gabe Ames
Attends Bemidji State University
Interned at RiverView Health
“It’s amazing how fast things come together. The pace moves very quickly, and the flow of work is impressive. Good teamwork has to happen for the job to get completed and I liked how well the subcontractors worked together.”
Sydnie Coster
Attends Colorado School of Mines
Interned at U.S. Bank Stadium Exterior Renovation
“My internship was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done because it made me learn about different jobs that I didn’t even know exist. What I like most about the construction industry is the variety of things you are able to see and work on. No two jobs are exactly alike so you often get to learn and experience new things.”
Jake Dansby
Attends Iowa State University
Interned at University of Minnesota Center for Magnetic Resonance Research MDT Optical Imaging
“It was really interesting learning the process of tying the new parts of the building into the existing facility. This included the walls and roof as well as the MEP that runs into multiple areas.”
Alyse Dees
Attends Howard University
Interned at Hennepin Healthcare Red Leaf Center for Family Healing Expansion
"There are so many intricate steps that make up the entire process. It has been exciting to see how each step connects with the next in order to complete a larger part of the building. It has been amazing. I learned something each and every day."
Francis Hart
Attends University of Iowa
Interned at Xtream Arena
“My previous internships have been on wind projects. Learning about how the foundation of an arena differs from the foundation of a wind turbine was really interesting. Working with and learning from Mortenson’s concrete crews and earth-moving crews was fascinating.”
Brayden Kirk
Interned at multiple project sites
“It was interesting learning how the complexities of making a building get handled on a day to day basis. It is incredible how the different roles all work together using a variety of programs, such as Procore or Bluebeam. To be able to see this firsthand has been eye opening.”
Kade Leier
Attends North Dakota State University
Interned at the Minneapolis Public Service Building
“I got to know some truly impressive individuals within Mortenson. Watching and learning how they tackled and solved problems is probably the most important learning experience I have had during this internship.”
Sophia McAneney
Attends Olin College of Engineering
Interned at The Blake School
“It was interesting being at a project that was just finishing up. There are so many things that need to happen before a building can be handed over to the owner.”
Jordan Schenck
Attends University of Saint Thomas
Interned at The Family Partnership
"What interests me about construction is that every project is a new challenge and you can see in real time what you see in 2D, 3D and virtual reality, all coming into reality around you."
Karli Schmitt
Attends University of Minnesota
Interned at Fairview Health
“I love being able to see the direct results of my work reflected in buildings. There is a physical result of your work which is super satisfying and different from most jobs.”
Kyle Sherry
Attends Dunwoody College of Technology
Interned at the Ramsey County Vadnais Sports Turf Project
"What I find most interesting about the construction industry is how fast paced everything goes. It’s pretty cool seeing an entire building constructed and all of the processes and work-hours that go into a building."
Matt Sporre
Attends Iowa State University
Interned at Vermeer
“Over the last few years I’ve had a growing an interest in clean energy, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be on the construction side or the research and development side. Renewable energy is a huge market for Mortenson and my experience this summer has shown me how exciting construction can be—opening more doors for my future after college.”
Sawyer Strelnieks
Attends Dordt College
Interned at various University of Minnesota projects
“What interests me most about the construction industry is being a part of a team on a project and seeing the finished product being used by the public to meet their needs. I loved seeing how people worked together and communicated to solve the daily issues that came up on the various job sites.”
Brandon Strohfus
Attends Colorado State University
Interned at Historic Fort Snelling
"It was interesting how many different entities you communicate with on historic sites, this included the owner, archeologists, tribal monitors, historians, and architects. Every day was different with a new set of challenges and tasks."
Sydney Van Frost
Attends University of Wisconsin - Madison
Interned at various Allina Health projects
"You are continuously improving upon yourself from project to project and seeing the finished outcome is very rewarding. This is a refreshing aspect of a career in construction that you don’t find in many other industries."
Zoe Younger
Attending the University of Wisconsin – Madison
Interned at multiple project sites
“I love watching the project develop over time and being able to walk around the site instead of just sitting at a desk all day.”