From Sparta, TN, Caz Bilbrey is currently attending Tennessee Technological University and is working towards a Spring 2023 graduation date with her degree in electrical engineering. Caz recently accepted an internship out of our Oak Ridge office with the Nuclear Services and Technology (NST) team. Welcome, Caz!

What’s the best part about working at Merrick so far? I absolutely love the atmosphere and people here. The feeling of importance and the friendly people here make my experience so much better! I am so happy that this isn’t a typical internship where nothing is expected from me. Merrick believes in me and wants me to do more than just be here. As my boss said, “You are here because we see your potential. We want you to experience what it means to be a true engineer. This means to grow and to never stop learning.”

Tell us about your proudest accomplishment. My proudest accomplishment is my current state in life. I am proud of myself for working hard and getting this internship. I faced my fear and told my previous job about my wonderful opportunity here at Merrick, and they allowed me to take a sabbatical to learn and grow. I moved halfway across the state into a lifestyle I was not accustomed to. For the first time ever, I am paying bills and being a responsible adult! I am proud of myself for making a change I so desperately needed. I am growing so much in such a short time, it amazes me.

 

Jay Blythe comes to us from Loveland, CO and is working with our Surveying team in Greenwood Village! He’s currently studying civil engineering and construction management at the University of Wyoming (go, pokes!) and plans to graduate in Spring 2022! We’re happy you’re here, Jay!

Why did you want to intern at Merrick? Two of my family members have worked for Merrick in the past and had amazing things to say about the company. Merrick offers a huge variety of learning opportunities and experiences that are unmatched elsewhere.

What does your typical workday look like? My typical workday is in the field with a survey crew, collecting data to be used by engineers to create drawings. Lots of walking and braving the elements!

 

Ione Chandler grew up in Dubois, WY and is attending the University of Wyoming. She earned her bachelor’s degree this past May and is on track to graduate with her master’s in architectural engineering in May 2022. Ione is working from our Greenwood Village office as a structural engineering intern with our High Performance Facilities (HPF) team. Welcome to Merrick, Ione!

What are your goals after graduation? After graduation I would like to find a structural engineering job where I can make a significant difference in the lives of people in underserved communities around the world. Doing something similar to Engineers without Borders but working primarily on buildings would be perfect. I would also love to be able to travel and spend as much time outdoors as possible, either through my job or in my free time.

Tell us about your proudest accomplishment. I think my proudest accomplishment will be earning my master’s degree in architectural engineering in five years. Engineering was a questionable career choice for me because even though I like problem solving, I’ve struggled with math my whole life. I’m equally surprised and proud that I’ve made it this far!

 

Matthew Dell will be graduating from the Colorado School of Mines this coming December with a Master of Science in Engineering, Business, and Entrepreneurship. Originally from Arvada, CO, Matthew has accepted a local internship this summer in our Greenwood Village office working in project management with NST. Welcome, Matthew!

Why did you want to intern at Merrick? I was initially drawn to Merrick because of the diversity of its projects. As I researched, I began to learn more about Merrick’s incredible culture and standing as an employee-owned company; something that really spoke to my entrepreneurship background.

Tell us about your proudest accomplishment. My proudest accomplishment is the person I have become today. Years of diligent personal development and perseverance through adversity have allowed me to be on track to graduate from Mines with honors, to have a great group of friends, and to have this tremendous opportunity with Merrick.

 

From Lone Tree, CO, Sean Gilpatrick is attending the Colorado School of Mines and will be graduating this December with a degree in mechanical engineering. Sean is working with our NST team this summer out of our Greenwood Village office. We’re glad you’re here, Sean!

What’s the best part about working at Merrick so far? Everyone I’ve met has been super friendly and helpful. I feel like I have lots of people I can go to when I have questions or get stuck on something.

Tell us about your proudest accomplishment. My proudest accomplishment would be earning my Eagle rank in Boy Scouts.

 

Blake Greene is spending this summer in her hometown of Aiken, SC doing a mechanical equipment engineering internship in our local office. She’s on track to graduate from North Carolina A&T State University in Winter 2022 with a degree in mechanical engineering.

What does your typical workday look like? My typical workday varies a bit. I have been able to work with different disciplines to see how they all work. I recently completed work with the procurement team and have been doing some work with technical specifications and requirements. The current project I’m working on is for laptop arm design with Creo. I’m also researching Creo materials for the Creo materials library. I dedicate my free time to building my Creo skills and learning to work with the Creo Flow Analysis feature.

What’s the best part about working at Merrick so far? The best part so far would be the people in the company. Everyone wants you to succeed and learn as much as possible during your time here.

 

Paityn Hardison grew up in Castle Rock, CO and is currently attending William Jewell College in Missouri. She will be graduating in Spring 2022 with her bachelor’s in civil engineering. Paityn is spending her summer as a civil engineering intern with our HPF team in Merrick’s Greenwood Village office.

Why did you want to intern at Merrick? I like the wide variety of projects that Merrick works on, along with their emphasis on company culture.

Tell us about your proudest accomplishment. One of my proudest accomplishments would have to be passing calc 2, just kidding! It would probably have to be pushing myself out of my comfort zone and holding leadership positions in the clubs and activities I am involved in; I am a captain of the volleyball team, treasurer of our ASCE student chapter, and on the executive council for my sorority. These opportunities have given me the resources to develop a strong foundation that I will continue to expand upon in the future.

 

Jon Hernandez is originally from Hobbs, NM and moved to Albuquerque to attend the University of New Mexico. He’ll be graduating this fall with a degree in mechanical engineering. Jon commutes from Albuquerque everyday to our Los Alamos office where he is interning with our NST team as a mechanical equipment engineer. We’re glad to have you, Jon!

Why did you want to intern at Merrick? I had heard from a family member that Merrick was a good company to work for as an intern and as an employee too. Also, the job description aligned with the work I was doing on my senior design project.

Tell us about your proudest accomplishment. I would have to say my proudest accomplishment would be finishing school. I know I haven’t “officially” graduated but given all the hardships I have endured while going through school, I am completing the goal I set for myself four years ago. And now, I have an internship where I get to use those skills I have learned.

 

Originally from Denver, CO, Matt Honnen headed south where he attends Texas Christian University. Matt will graduate in Spring 2022 with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and a minor in mathematics. He is interning with our NST team out of Merrick’s Greenwood Village office. Thanks for joining our team, Matt!

What’s the best part about working at Merrick so far? The great culture where everyone wants to see me succeed in my work has been the best part about working at Merrick. Everyone has been absolutely fantastic allowing me to ask any question I may have.

What are your goals after graduation? I plan on working as an engineer for a few years to obtain my Professional Engineering licenses in Colorado. After this, I want to return to school to get an MBA.

 

Tessa Kim is from Huntsville, AL and attends Vanderbilt University. She’s studying mechanical engineering and will graduate in Spring 2022. Tessa has joined our Oak Ridge office as a mechanical equipment engineering intern with NST. Welcome, Tessa!

What’s the best part about working at Merrick so far? The best part about Merrick is that everyone is willing to help each other and answer questions. When I got to Merrick, I was immediately incorporated into the team and already feel very involved in the company.

What are your goals after graduation? My plan after graduation is to go straight into the industry and explore what specialization I may be interested in. I then plan to pursue a master’s degree and hopefully become a licensed, professional engineer.

 

Jathrine Martinez is from Fort Worth, TX and attends Texas A&M University where she will be graduating in Fall 2022 with a bachelor’s in architectural engineering with a structural building systems specialization and a minor in architecture in sustainability and planning. She’s working with our HPF team in San Antonio as an electrical engineering intern.

What’s the best part about working at Merrick so far? All my college courses correspond to different engineering disciplines and it seems that each engineering discipline has its own world. However, at Merrick, I really enjoy seeing how these disciplines come together for a variety of projects. Merrick’s emphasis on collaboration truly creates an elevated learning experience.

What are your goals after graduation? Since building systems are one of the biggest sources of carbon emission, my goal is to further integrate structural engineering and sustainability.

 

Originally from Stillwater, OK, Aubrey Norton is attending Oklahoma State University with plans to graduate in Spring 2022 in chemical engineering. This summer, she traveled over to Merrick’s Greenwood Village office to pursue a process engineering internship with NST. We’re glad you’re here, Aubrey!

What’s the best part about working at Merrick so far? I really like the intern meetings. They cover many topics such as searching for a job or behavior in a workplace. I appreciate having the guidance and it teaches me how to be a good professional.

Tell us about your proudest accomplishment. Working with my team at Oklahoma State University and my research on sensors for military drones has to be one of my proudest accomplishments. I work with incredibly intelligent people and have learned a lot from them. Getting this internship at Merrick and moving here not knowing many people was also a huge accomplishment.

 

Miranda Schiffbauer is spending her second summer at Merrick as a structural engineering intern with NST (she can’t get enough of us). She grew up in Arvada, CO and is attending the Colorado School of Mines where she will graduate with a master’s degree in civil engineering this December. Welcome back, Miranda! (We can’t get enough of you either!)

What are your goals after graduation? I’d like to get a full-time job doing structural engineering, and to earn my PE in the near future.

Tell us about your proudest accomplishment. I’d say one of my proudest accomplishments is my hole-in-one in a high school golf tournament. I’ve played golf since I was little and practiced a lot on my high school team. The hard work–plus some luck–resulted in a really awesome day on the golf course!

 

Megan Smith is from Broomfield, CO and is attending the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is studying chemical engineering and is on track to graduate in Spring 2022. She is working in our Greenwood Village office as a process engineering intern for Energy and Chemicals. We’re happy you joined us, Megan!

Why did you want to intern at Merrick? Merrick’s projects are interesting to me and I like that it is a bigger company and has a good intern program that is willing to invest in my career growth.

What’s the best part about working at Merrick so far? The people. Everyone is so awesome and just great to work with. The projects I have been involved with so far have also been super cool. I always feel like I am doing something important and not just busy work.

 

Vanessa Sotelo is from San Antonio, TX where she is attending the University of Texas and spending her summer internship with our Architectural team in our local office! In Spring of 2022, Vanessa will graduate with her degree in Architecture. Welcome, Vanessa!

What does your typical workday look like? Every day is different. One day I may be asked to generate some awesome renderings or sketches, then pick up redlines for the interiors department before a deadline, print binders, research and build a presentation, or order material samples and call reps all day. Sometimes I get the chance to help design something and that is a very rare opportunity for any intern.

What’s the best part about working at Merrick so far? My team and the people we work around. It is a fun and healthy environment. There is always something to laugh about and every single one of them will take the time to answer my questions or contact the people that could help me – which is great when you are learning something new! This is a low stress but hardworking environment and that is rare to find.

 

Juliet Swinea is from Charlotte, NC and graduated in Spring 2021 from North Carolina State University with a degree in civil engineering and a concentration in structures. Juliet is interning in our Duluth office this summer as a structural engineer with HPF before she heads off to grad school at Georgia Tech next year. We’re excited you’re here, Juliet!

Why did you want to intern at Merrick? I wanted to intern with Merrick because the structural work done is not your everyday buildings and bridges. When looking into the company, I saw that Merrick did work for NASA testing facilities and DoD bases as well as other military assignments. I thought this would be a great opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and work with a group of people who design extraordinary structures.

Tell us about your proudest accomplishment. My proudest accomplishment is graduating valedictorian from NC State’s Civil Engineering program.

 

Quentin Teta grew up in Pinnacle, NC and attends the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he will earn his civil engineering degree in Spring 2022. He is spending his summer internship in our Charlotte office working with Infrastructure Engineering’s (IE) Land Development team. Welcome!

Why did you want to intern at Merrick? To learn everything I could about residential and commercial development. I have always been really interested in developing homes and buildings in a sustainable way.

Tell us about your proudest accomplishment.  My proudest accomplishment is a conglomeration of all the projects I’ve completed on my family farm. From decks and saunas to electric fences and chicken coops, I have completely transformed the property. It has allowed me to develop the necessary handiness with tools and heavy equipment as well as the forethought of planning to give me confidence in any project I undertake.

 

Megan Van de Graaf is from Houston, TX and attending the Colorado School of Mines. She’ll graduate Spring 2022 with a bachelor’s in chemical engineering. Megan is working in our Greenwood Village office as a process engineering intern for NST.

What’s the best part about working at Merrick so far? The people! I’ve had a chance to meet so many new people; learning about their backgrounds, what brought them to Merrick, and why they like Merrick, has been really rewarding. I’ve gotten to play volleyball with coworkers and enjoyed making new memories.

What are your goals after graduation? My goal after graduation is to find a job where I feel that I have an impact with the work I’m doing while also enjoying the day-to-day activities. I also want to live somewhere I can be active, enjoy the outdoors, and find fun activities to do! Having a positive, friendly workplace like Merrick’s would be ideal.

 

Jack Vance is from Vienna, VA. When he’s not working as a lift operator in Big Sky, MT, he’s attending Virginia Tech where he’ll graduate in Spring 2022 with a degree in civil engineering. This summer Jack is interning with our IE Land Development team in Colorado (where the Rocky Mountains are just a bit taller.) Welcome, Jack!

What does your typical workday look like? I have been assigned various tasks on projects throughout the design process. AutoCAD Civil 3D and I have become close friends in the first few weeks on the job. I have been able to create and edit sheets in construction documents and see how the design process unfolds from initial checklists to inputting as-built data as projects are completed.

Why did you want to intern at Merrick? I wanted to experience a range of opportunities within civil engineering. The Merrick internship program has allowed me to work with great people and get my hands on a range of projects. Throughout the interview process it was clear that Merrick cared about me! I knew this internship would help me feel prepared for my first job out of college.

 

Michael von Kutzleben is from Bogart, GA and will be graduating this fall from Kennesaw State University in Geospatial Science. Michael is working as a GIS intern at Merrick’s GTC project office in Tucker, GA.

What does your typical workday look like? A typical workday for me would be working on mapping projects which include location maps, study area maps, and environmental maps.

What are your goals after graduation? My goal is to work in a GIS department of an engineering company or with county or state GIS departments. I want to eventually further my education into remote sensing and information systems.