Blog Entries

Internships are a great opportunity to gain real world professional experience before graduation. Each summer, Miron Construction welcomes a number of interns to work in all areas of our company. Every intern’s experience is unique. Rather than us tell you about it, we have invited fifteen interns to share their journeys on our blog over the next few months. In previous posts, we met Makayla, Mackenzie, and John. Today, we introduce Nick.

NICK KIPPENHAN – PROJECT MANAGEMENT INTERN

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF.
Hi! My name is Nick Kippenhan. I attend Michigan Technological University and will be a sophomore this fall. I am majoring in Civil Engineering.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AN INTERN WITH MIRON?
This is my first year as an intern with Miron; however, I have worked as summer help in the yard for the last three years. I chose Miron for my first internship for a couple of reasons. The first being that I am familiar with Miron; knowing the background of the company was important to me, but I saw this as an opportunity to grow my knowledge about the construction industry. The second reason I chose Miron was the company’s willingness to hire an intern that recently completed only his first year of college. Not many companies are willing to invest in someone who has only one year of college completed.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST BECOME INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN CONSTRUCTION?
The first time I became interested in a career in construction was when I went to Quarry Quest as a young child. I was in awe of all the heavy equipment that was on site, and I was amazed at all the tasks that could be accomplished.

WHAT IS THE COOLEST THING YOU HAVE LEARNED SO FAR THIS SUMMER?
One of the coolest things I have learned so far this summer involves the introduction to some of the technology used. I had never heard of BIM360 Field before I came to Miron, but now I use it daily and see the benefits it brings to the industry.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR INTERNSHIP?
My favorite part of my internship has been the relationships that I have created. It amazed me how willing my project team was to bring me in and show me everything that they do on a daily basis.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST PART OF YOUR INTERNSHIP?
The hardest part of my internship has been the presentation aspect. I believe that a lot of people strongly dislike speaking to an audience; however, during my first presentation I became more and more comfortable as I knew I was surrounded by my peers. I am greatly appreciative of all the support I was given both before and after my presentation.

DO YOU FEEL THAT YOUR INTERNSHIP IS BETTER PREPARING YOU FOR THE FUTURE? IF SO, IN WHAT WAYS?
Yes, I definitely believe that my internship is preparing me for the future. This opportunity has allowed me to see more of a project manager’s day-to-day tasks and understand the kinds of responsibilities that are encountered each day.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHER STUDENTS CONSIDERING A SIMILAR INTERNSHIP?
Don’t be afraid to try new things. This experience is unlike any other opportunity you will have. You aren’t treated as someone who is there for just a few months; you are treated like a friend that they have known forever.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE?
One interesting thing I learned while at one of my project sites was to never leave a briefcase on a sidewalk. In short, a lawyer had left a briefcase in front of his vehicle and did not take it with him when he left. This led to the police being called to investigate, which in turn led to the bomb squad being called to the scene as a precaution. Unfortunately, this occurred right in front of our job trailer, so neither my project superintendent nor I were allowed in the trailer for over two hours. It turned out that the briefcase was simply full of papers.

Thanks, Nick. Check back later this week to meet another Miron intern who will be joining our blog for the summer.

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