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This summer, our firm welcomed three groups of high school interns across our Portland, Seattle, and Sacramento offices. These talented students had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the construction industry.

Portland

In our Portland office, we hosted two high school interns, Marcó and Norma. While on the team, they participated in various activities including field trips to subcontractors, job sites, and a visit to the NW Construction College.

Marcó, eager to gain firsthand field experience, worked as a Carpenter Helper and aspires to a career in architecture. Norma previously worked with Deacon Development as an administrative assistant and was recommended for this internship by her engineering teacher. Her dream is to become an architect and eventually build her own house.

The interns also collaborated on building a doghouse for donation to a local organization, visited job sites, and learned about various roles within our company.

Seattle

In Seattle, interns Gahl and Lyle were challenged to build their own 4’x4’x1’ planter boxes using written instructions. They sourced materials from Home Depot, learning about different materials, tools, and project costs. With guidance from Safety Manager Steven Pearce at our safety warehouse, they developed skills in tool handling, problem-solving, and craftsmanship. Their planter boxes were donated to a gardening club at Seattle Public Schools.

The Seattle interns visited job sites, obtained their OSHA 10-hour certifications, learned about the Marketing and Business Development roles within Deacon, and concluded their internships with an outing to Top Golf.

Sacramento

Sacramento interns Ellona, Adin, and James began their journey with a visit to IKEA to observe tilt-up construction and learn about job site safety from industry professionals. Throughout the internship, they engaged in activities like preplanning and estimating, develop skills in reading plans and gained a better understanding of preconstruction processes.

Sacramento’s interns were introduced to different roles within our company, learning from Project Managers, Engineers, and Marketing Professionals. They explored career paths in construction through presentations and activities, including the construction of paper towers to learn about working within project constraints, completing a Procore training session on construction technology, and a Lunch and Learn at Rex Moore Electrical.

The internship concluded with reflections on their initial goals, a review of their progress, and planning for their next steps. They celebrated their achievements with a trip to Dave and Buster’s.

Deacon has always had a strong commitment to preparing for the future within our company and communities; our high school internship programs reflect our dedication to nurturing future talent in the construction industry. We were pleased to provide these young individuals with the skills and experiences they need to succeed in their future careers and wish them only the best as they continue their educational journeys!

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