Kraus-Anderson Interns Look Back on the 2022 Summer

Kraus-Anderson hosted 14 wonderful interns this summer. 

As their internships come to a close, we asked them to reflect on their time with Kraus-Anderson.

GRACE LILJENQUIST – Project Engineer Intern

College + Major: North Dakota State University, Construction Engineering

Project Assignment: Riverwood Hospital

Biggest highlight?: The biggest highlight of the summer was having the opportunity to work on the surgery expansion project at Riverwood Hospital in Aitkin, Minnesota. As I was born and raised in the town of Aitkin, it was special to be part of giving back to the community that has given so much to me over the years.

BRYCE SIMON – Field Engineer Intern

College + Major: Minnesota State University-Mankato, Construction Management

Project Assignment: Gustavus Adolphus College Lund Center

Any surprises?: One thing that surprised me this summer was the close relationship our project team has with the project owners. In my previous construction experience, I hadn’t had the opportunity to work as closely with the owners as I did this summer. That partnership was neat to see and be part of.

AARON LOKEN – Project Engineer Intern

College + Major: Bemidji State University, Construction and Facility Management

Project Assignment: Roseau Community Schools

Any challenges?: Creating KA work scope documents and estimating was a challenge. It was all new for me. My mentor and other project managers taught me and made themselves available for questions. I learned how to put them together for a variety of projects.

MICHAELA SYLVESTER – Project Engineer Intern

College + Major: Minnesota State University-Mankato, Construction Management

Project Assignment: North Loop Green

Internship takeaway(s): The Kraus-Anderson internship experience, compared to my classroom experience, provides a very different way of learning. Being on a job site and directly contributing to the success of a project helped me grow so much as an industry professional. My professors at Mankato State have done a great job preparing me for real-world experience, but to learn by doing and to be assigned a mentor to learn from / look up to further taught me how to think and act as a true construction professional.

ALEX BJORLIN – Field Engineer Intern

College + Major: Missouri State University, Construction Management

Project Assignment: Rock Ridge High School

Advice for future interns?: Take everything in. The summer goes by incredibly fast, so soak up as much information and learn as much as you can. There are a lot of great mentors at Kraus-Anderson, so ask a lot of questions.

BRADEN AUBOL – Project Engineer Intern

College + Major: North Dakota State University, Construction Management

Project Assignment: NDSU

Any challenges?: The number one challenge I faced this summer was finding a balance between work, school, and my personal life. For the last few years, I’ve only had to focus on school and my personal life, so adding a full-time internship brought challenges. I learned to overcome this challenge by segmenting an appropriate amount of time for each— weekday mornings/afternoons were for Kraus-Anderson, weekday evenings were for friends and family, and weekends were for school work. Having select times allowed me to truly focus on all the areas important to me.

SAM HINER – Project Engineer Intern

College + Major: Bemidji State University, Project Management

Project Assignment: Supporting multiple projects

Advice for future interns?: Ask questions if you don’t understand something. The people around you have lots of experience and have probably been in the same position at one point. Use your chain of command and ask the next person ahead of you. That being said, give an honest effort first. Don’t ask questions about everything without attempting to figure it out yourself.

DEREK GOLLIHER – Project Engineer Intern

College + Major: University of Wisconsin-Stout, Construction Management

Project Assignment: Bryk on Broadway

Biggest highlight?: Being on the job site with the trades every day and building connections were my highlights. I’m going to school to be a Project Manager, and I think it’s important for a PM to understand the field, as well as the people in it. I’m a big people person and these connections will help me in future endeavors.

ELDEN SERRATO – Field Engineer Intern

College + Major: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Construction Management

Project Assignment: Birch Lake Elementary

Advice for future interns?: Communication is extremely important in our industry. Don’t be afraid to speak up. Ask questions and try to step outside your comfort zone.

LANGSTON EDLUND – Project Engineer Intern

College + Major: Arizona State University, Construction Management

Project Assignment: Special Projects

Biggest highlight?: The biggest highlight of my summer was the Summit Academy golf event. I attended the event with some KA coworkers and my dad, Paul Edlund. The event supported a great organization, and I spent the day with awesome people. There were so many laughs and smiles. It was definitely a day I won’t forget.

MOLLY SEIF – Project Engineer Intern

College + Major: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Civil Engineering

Project Assignment: Rolling Hills Rehabilitation Center and Retirement Home

Internship takeaway(s): At Kraus-Anderson, I learned a lot about the day-to-day life of a project manager, the dedication it takes to be a project superintendent, the importance of good communication and cooperation on a job site, pre-construction, and the various project delivery methods. Possibly the most notable thing I observed was the importance of networking in the construction industry. It’s valuable to form long-lasting relationships with owners, subcontractors, engineers, architects, etc.

TIM BELOV – Accounting and Information Systems Intern

College + Major: Saint John’s University, Accounting

Project Assignment: Accounting and IT support

Any surprises?: The amount of employee engagement activities provided by Kraus surprised me. These events were great for letting employees relax and relieve stress. It also gave us a chance to talk with people we don’t see regularly. As an intern, these events were great for meeting new people from different departments and building more connections.

NATHAN REWALD – Project Engineer Intern

College + Major: University of Wisconsin-Stout, Construction Management

Project Assignment: White Bear Lake Schools

Any surprises?: What surprised me was how intricate, yet simple, the job site is. There was so much going on and it can seem stressful, but the subcontractors, superintendents, and project managers have it down to a tee. They run a fast and efficient project.

SAVANNAH LAROCQUE – Project Engineer Intern

College + Major: Iowa State University, Construction Engineering

Project Assignment: Supporting multiple projects

Biggest highlight?: Getting to know all of the people working for Kraus-Anderson, both in the office and the field, was my biggest highlight. Everybody was so welcoming, nice, and helpful throughout my entire internship. Each person I met taught me something and showed me that at KA, you’re more than a number. I’m so thankful that I was able to work with such a fun and hardworking group of people.

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