Kyle’s Intern Experience: Back for Another Summer

 

My name is Kyle Krull, and I am a second year intern working out of Alberici’s Detroit office.  I am heading into my last year of school at Missouri University of Science and Technology (or Missouri S&T, formerly University of Missouri – Rolla) majoring in civil engineering.  I split my time last summer between Alberici’s estimating department at their headquarters in St. Louis, and SSM St. Joseph’s West Hospital in Lake St. Louis, MO. While working with the estimating department, I had the opportunity to observe (and provide a little bit of help with) a successful bid for the Route 47 Bridge in Washington, MO, and assist with preparation for other future Alberici projects. While at St. Joseph, I assisted with the closing out of a few portions of the project, and was able to see how a project with multiple areas worked. It was a challenging but rewarding experience, as I met a lot of great people who were more than happy to help me learn about the ins and outs of construction and learned new ways to face new challenges.

My interest in working in construction and with Alberici has been around for a while.  In 6th grade, I went on a field trip to Alberici’s building, and although I was young and didn’t have much of a thought of a career path at that point in time, I remember thinking how cool it would be to work in that building! I had chosen to go into civil engineering and construction in college because I enjoyed building things with Legos and other building materials growing up, and because I wanted to contribute to the civil works and buildings that we all see or use. When it came time to apply for internships for the summer, I thought back to Alberici, and looked at what Alberici did to contribute to the world. After seeing the diversity, uniqueness, and challenge of the projects Alberici took on, I knew that they were a company that I wanted to work for. After applying and going through the interviewing process, I was offered an internship with Alberici, and accepted the position on the spot! I have been more than happy with the decision that I have made since then, as I have learned a lot about the construction process, and have been welcomed with the family atmosphere that Alberici has for its workers.

I’m from O’Fallon, MO, which is the city right next to Lake St. Louis, so I was lucky enough to only be 8 and a half minutes from the project site last summer. This summer however, I’ll be 8 and a half hours from my house! I’m excited to take on new challenges in a new city, but before I left for Detroit, I and the other interns were able to experience the intern orientation. This orientation was an all-day event that included an introduction about the company and its history, a building tour, and an introduction to the projects on which I and my fellow interns would be working this summer. The projects ranged from a water treatment plant in Fargo, North Dakota, to a new dormitory for Saint Louis University, to the Highway 47 bridge in Washington, MO (for which I was able to witness the bidding), and many, many more. It was awesome to see how many people in the company took the time to greet us and share their experiences with Alberici. Greg Kozicz, Alberici’s President and CEO, also stopped by to welcome us!

I am excited for a new opportunity in a new city. This summer, I’m hoping to learn a little bit more about how a project begins, and how the automotive side of construction operates. I am currently working at a Fiat-Chrysler plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan preparing various areas of the plant for a new line of vehicles. I haven’t been on site for too terribly long, but I have already gotten busy with tracking the daily tasks of the laborers, coordinating with the owners and different contractors, and looking through the documents associated with the project to familiarize myself with it. This is only just the beginning! It sounds like I will have plenty of diverse tasks to take on, and I can’t wait to see what this summer has in store!