Celebrating National Intern Day: Learning, Growing, and Building the Future at Schnabel

At Schnabel, our interns are more than summer team members—they’re future engineers, geologists, and technical professionals gaining hands-on experience while contributing to meaningful projects across the country. This National Intern Day, we’re celebrating the curiosity, dedication, and fresh perspectives they bring to our teams.

As Chief Operating Officer Chad Mayers puts it, “One of my favorite things about summer is connecting with our interns. They bring energy, curiosity, and fresh perspectives that strengthen our teams and challenge us to think in new ways. As they gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and a deeper understanding of our industry, we have the opportunity to help shape the next generation of engineers, scientists, and leaders. That exchange of knowledge benefits their growth, our company, and our industry.”

We spoke with a few interns representing offices across the firm to learn more about their experiences, the lessons they’ve learned, and the advice they’d share with future interns.

Boots on the Ground, Ready to Learn

For many interns, one of the most rewarding parts of the summer has been applying what they’ve learned in the classroom to real engineering projects.

In Portland, Anouk Clendenning, a student at the University of British Columbia completing her second internship with Schnabel, enjoyed taking on new field responsibilities. She shared, “I loved getting to supervise drilling for the first time. Logging the rock core was a great way to apply the skills I learned for my degree. It’s fun to examine soil and rock that nobody else has seen before, even if it looks nondescript at first glance.”

For Mirabel Coverston, a University of Washington student interning in Seattle, seeing classroom concepts come to life through structural analysis was especially rewarding. “I had just finished a class where I got to use similar software throughout the quarter and learned about the math that the program runs behind the scenes,” she said. “It was incredibly rewarding to apply the things I’d learned in the classroom to a real-world project.”

In Houston, Patricio Meza Guerra of Texas A&M University found that field work made all the difference. “Being out in the field is absolutely necessary to reinforce the learning experience, and Schnabel does such a good job at incorporating interns into the field work,” he said. “Whether it be in the office or out in the field, they always make you feel appreciated.”

In Baltimore, Michael Viera, a student at The Pennsylvania State University, enjoyed seeing how engineering comes together from the office to the field. “My favorite part of my internship so far has been getting to see and understand the connection between the work we do in the office and the real-world physical progress,” he said. “From assisting with logging test borings to visiting project sites, every experience helped me better understand why the work we do matters and how it contributes to successful projects.”

Meanwhile, in Austin, Sumedh Thopte, who is completing his third internship with Schnabel while studying at the University of Texas at Austin, enjoyed continuing to build his technical skills. “My favorite part of my internship has been developing my Civil 3D skills through different projects,” he said.

Meaningful Work with Lasting Impact

Beyond gaining technical experience, interns had opportunities to contribute to projects with real-world significance.

Anouk reflected on working on the East Coast, where she developed new technical skills while broadening her perspective. “I learned many new skills, including soil logging, drilling supervision, and building boring logs in OpenGround software. I also got to see a new part of the country, and that was exciting!”

For Liliana Bosshard, a civil engineering student at RPI and ETH Zürich completing her second internship in Albany, visiting dams throughout New York left a lasting impression. “These dams are crucial pieces of American history as much as they are engineering marvels,” she said. “Knowing that projects I work on will outlive me is what makes me feel so lucky to be able to do the work I’m doing as an engineer at Schnabel.”

Sumedh found that preparing technical reports strengthened both his technical knowledge and attention to detail. “Creating technical reports makes me triple check the information and do independent research to verify prior data,” he said.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Alongside technical skills, interns also gained valuable professional experience.

Patricio’s biggest takeaway was the importance of remaining open to learning. “Classroom knowledge is only the start,” he said. “Working alongside experienced engineers exposed me to the many complexities in the real world, teaching me the importance of asking questions and continuously growing from those around me no matter what title they carry.”

Mirabel discovered how seemingly small details can have a lasting impact. “Something as small as failing to document a naming convention can make it difficult to find documents necessary for understanding and reworking projects in the future,” she said.

Sumedh learned that patience is just as important as technical ability. “Creating rebar placements requires detailed work and lots of patience,” he said.

Advice for Future Interns

When asked what advice they would give future interns, one theme emerged consistently: be curious, ask questions, and make the most of every opportunity.

Anouk encouraged interns to take ownership of their experience. “Get to know everyone you can and advocate for yourself. It’s been valuable to learn different perspectives from scientists and engineers.”

Liliana emphasized the value of independent problem solving. “If you are stuck on something, try to find a solution yourself first. This practice builds one of the most important skills an engineer can have: being able to work through problems creatively.”

Michael encouraged future interns to embrace every opportunity to learn. “My advice for future interns would be to grasp as much information as possible,” he said. “Every day you have the opportunity to learn something new. Whether you’re sitting in meetings, talking with your supervisor, visiting a project site, or simply listening to conversations around the office, every experience helps you become a better engineer. Allow yourself to become a sponge of information and make the most of your internship.”

Sumedh echoed the importance of asking questions while taking time to learn. “Be flexible and take your time with your assignments. There is no need to rush your work. And ask a lot of questions.”

Thank You to Our Interns

This National Intern Day, we’re proud to recognize all our interns across Schnabel’s offices. Whether they’re conducting field investigations, supporting design teams, performing analyses, or learning alongside experienced professionals, they are helping shape the future of our firm and our industry.

Thank you to each of our interns for your hard work, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn. We look forward to seeing where your careers take you and are grateful you’ve chosen to spend part of your journey with Schnabel.