MSKTD INTERNS SHARE HOW PROJECT IMMERSION AND REAL-TIME MENTORING PROPELS FUTURE SUCCESS
As a firm, MSKTD has a long history of investing in interns. Project immersion and real-time mentoring experience help propel them toward success in their future careers. In fact, quite a few interns had such a positive experience that they returned to work here full time after graduation, including Gary Voirol, our current president, who interned at MSKTD and now leads the company!
And while the intern experience—as well as the industry—has changed over the years, one thing stays the same: our steadfast commitment to mentor a future generation of architects, interior designers, and engineers.
We recently sat down with our three summer interns, who are each at different stages of their academic journey. They shared how the internship experience positively impacted their professional growth and provided insights about what has been most helpful to them as they returned to their academic pursuits. As they shared their stories, one-on-one mentoring, hands-on design experience, as well as meaningful work on client projects and mutual respect, all topped their lists. Here’s what else they had to say:
KARSTEN L.
ARCHITECTURAL INTERN
HEALTHCARE TEAM
“Someone from a different generation might see things completely differently than you do and so it’s important to come together and discuss and make decisions and listen to each other and collaborate that way.”
I originally earned an undergraduate degree in interior design technology. Through my experiences, I realized I wanted to study architecture, and I went back to school. I am finishing my master’s thesis right now. In a previous internship, I realized I really enjoyed working on healthcare design projects, so when I was looking for this internship, I wanted to go somewhere that had a strong healthcare team. I did research, and all of MSKTD’s projects in the healthcare market pointed to a highly experienced team that I wanted to join.
I’ve been working on design development and construction documents for hospitals and ambulatory centers. I appreciate MSKTD’s focus on teaching you what you’re doing as you’re doing it. Even more important, they focus on teaching you why you’re doing what you’re doing so that it makes sense in your head.
Any time I’m put on a new project or asked to help with an existing project, there’s always someone who comes over and gives me the context—about the client and the job at hand—so I can be better prepared to step in and help. They also walk me through changes when reviewing my work, so I know what needs to be done next time.
Of my three internships, I’ve enjoyed this one the most. I’ve been here the longest, and we have a lot of cross-team interaction, which has created a synthesis that helps me learn even more. The desks are set up like a quad, which really fosters communication and collaboration. When you’re still learning, it’s important to be able to go to at least one or multiple people with questions. At MSKTD, everyone is willing to jump in and provide the answers I need. Everyone has been so welcoming and easy to talk to—it’s a really collaborative environment. It’s also very inclusive, laid back, and fun.
JARED S.
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING INTERN
IN-HOUSE ENGINEERING TEAM
“The company wants me here. They think that my time here is valuable, and they are willing
to give me good exposure and experience. I really like that my learning is a priority for them.”
This is my first internship, and it has really given me a lot of insight into possibilities for me once
I leave school. A mutual friend connected me with my current mentor, Chris Bien, Senior Associate at MSKTD, who helped make the internship possible. To be honest, my expectations for going into my first internship were pretty low, because I had a lot of friends who didn’t have great experiences at theirs. They were given menial tasks and felt as if they weren’t contributing anything important. Luckily, I did not have a similar experience.
I was really surprised to discover that I would be doing real work and learning at the same time.
I have had a lot of one-on-one interactions with my mentor and several other people in the
department. Even when Chris wasn’t in the office, plenty of people were happy to talk, show me something new, or give me meaningful tasks.
Something that’s been really neat here is going to job sites. When Chris goes to a job site, he’ll
bring me along so I can see what it’s like communicating with contractors and builders. One of my very first site visits as an intern involved doing a punch list on a new dentist office that used to be a Taco Bell.
Another thing I like about this internship is the cross disciplines. Every department is under the same roof, and we all have a lot of interactions. I love it whenever somebody from the architecture or another engineering department comes over to ask a question or get clarification. It really shows how everyone is valued and respected for their work and contributions.
MSKTD also places a huge emphasis on being friendly, as simple as that sounds. Throughout my
internship, MSKTD offered a lot of social events, such as a company cookout and a zoo day.
They also encouraged me to participate in Greater Fort Wayne’s Internship Experience, which allowed me to meet new people from across the country with internships here in Fort Wayne. I feel as if the company wants me to get the absolute most out of my time here; my growth as an
engineer and as a person is a priority for them.
LAINIE L.
ARCHITECTURAL INTERN
HIGHER EDUCATION TEAM
“When design professionals were talking to each other when I first started working here, it went completely over my head, but it’s very clear to me that I’m learning because I now understand what they’re saying to each other.”
Working at MSKTD has been just as great as I hoped it would be. I’ve been doing a lot of work on site graphics in preparation for client interviews, along with some Revit work on residence hall projects. I’ve also had the opportunity to visit pre-construction sites to get documentation.
When I first started my internship at MSKTD, it was very clear that everyone here is really close. The layout of the office makes it easy for everyone to communicate with each other throughout the day. So many people have spent time with me, helping me understand projects and treating me as if I’m part of the team, not just someone here temporarily.
There have been times when I was needing some extra help with a project or the design software, and I ended up with three or four teammates standing behind me, helping me figure out how to solve a problem. As an intern, I value being involved in the process. I’ve never heard of a firm being so integrated in a project from the beginning to the end. I also like the fact that MSKTD has so many recurring clients. They are building relationships with people that they revisit over time.
Here at MSKTD, we are always thankful for the opportunity to invest in this next generation of industry professionals. It is just as beneficial for us to learn from fresh or different perspectives as it is for our interns to experience professional growth. We always want our interns to walk away knowing we are as invested in them as they are willing to receive and reciprocate.
If you or someone you know is looking for an architecture, engineering, or interior design internship with immersive experiences in the healthcare, higher education, corporate, civic, or hygienic design markets, we’d love to start a conversation about how we can help propel YOU to success as part of your academic journey!
