Meet the Interns: Central Region

Our Central Region offices are home to interns working on projects that span multiple engineering disciplines and geographic areas. In this edition of Meet the Interns, we’re highlighting four students who are gaining valuable experience, expanding their technical knowledge, and discovering what it’s like to work alongside Schnabel’s employee-owners.

Austin Bagwell: Gladstone, MI

Austin Bagwell is entering his fourth year at Michigan Technological University, where he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. A native of Gladstone, Michigan, Austin is spending the summer in his hometown office, gaining experience across a variety of engineering disciplines.

Drawn to Schnabel’s internship program by the opportunity to work on diverse engineering challenges, Austin is excited to learn how civil and geotechnical engineers collaborate while becoming familiar with the software and communication that support consulting projects.

“I’m excited to learn how civil engineering ties into geotechnical engineering and how engineers from these two fields work together.”

Austin is particularly interested in dams, retaining walls, and foundation engineering because of the collaboration these projects require across multiple engineering disciplines.

Fun fact: Although he’s a lifelong Yooper, Austin is a devoted Jacksonville Jaguars fan.

Austin Weiland: Houston, TX

Austin Weiland is from The Woodlands, Texas, and is entering his fourth year studying civil engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. As he considers pursuing a master’s degree, he wanted an internship that would expose him to different areas of civil engineering before graduating.

Schnabel’s employee-owned culture and the opportunity to gain firsthand geotechnical engineering experience made the internship an easy choice. This summer, Austin is looking forward to seeing engineering move beyond the classroom by visiting active project sites and experiencing how projects come together in the field.

“I’m hoping this internship helps me discover whether geotechnical or structural engineering is the career path I want to pursue.”

Outside of work, Austin enjoys building LEGO® sets, creating latch hook projects, and attending live orchestra and jazz performances.

Grace Garnett: Marquette, MI

Grace Garnett recently earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Michigan Technological University and is now more than halfway through her master’s degree in civil engineering with a focus on water resources. Originally from Farmington Hills, Michigan, Grace was excited to join Schnabel after connecting with the team at her university’s career fair.

She was drawn to the firm’s welcoming culture, challenging dam projects, and the opportunity to work from the newly opened Marquette office. This summer, Grace is excited to apply the hydraulic modeling and engineering software she learned in school to real-world projects while gaining valuable field experience.

“I’m excited to get out in the field and apply what I’ve learned in the classroom to real-world water resources projects.”

Grace’s interests include predictive hydraulic modeling, dam engineering, and other aspects of water resources. When she’s not working or studying, she enjoys running—and has already completed three marathons and two ultramarathons.

Natalie Perez: Austin, TX

Natalie Perez is returning for her second summer internship with Schnabel while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering with a geotechnical specialty at Texas A&M University. A lifelong Austin resident, Natalie has developed a passion for tunnel and underground engineering and enjoys tackling the unique challenges that come with trenchless construction.

She was drawn to underground engineering because it often minimizes impacts on the surrounding environment while creating critical infrastructure that quietly serves communities behind the scenes. This summer, Natalie is building on her knowledge of geology, trenchless technology, construction methods, and design while gaining firsthand experience solving complex engineering challenges.

“Underground projects are like hidden treasure—they’re humbly transformative, and every project presents a new puzzle to solve.”

Natalie is fascinated by projects involving trenchless methods, particularly those with complex subsurface conditions, environmental constraints, and challenging construction requirements.

Fun fact: Natalie was a competitive swimmer for 10 years and says water polo was her favorite sport.

We’re proud to have these talented students on our team this summer and look forward to seeing all they accomplish during their time at Schnabel. Stay tuned for the final installment of our Meet the Interns series, where we’ll introduce interns from our Western Region offices.