On-site Internship Experience

Ally Warnaca is a Project Engineer intern working with our New Construction Mechanical team on the Bellevue Plaza project. Read below to learn more about her #McKinstryintern experience in the field!

How has your experience been with your on-site team??

One of the things I enjoy most about working at a job site is all the people. I am working with multiple individuals that have an array of?expertise?and backgrounds. All together we make up a team that has so much beneficial knowledge. It is an incredible place to learn and grow within the?industry,?especially being an intern still in school.??

Between project managers, the general contractor's team, foremen, superintendents, detailers, and more, there are many people that I had?the opportunity to engage with. I have really enjoyed understanding the importance of creating and maintaining relationships throughout the project as well as in your career.??

Going?off of?that, I feel extremely supported by the project management team I work with every day, and I am encouraged to continue stepping out of my comfort zone and tackle new projects constantly.??

Throughout my time on-site I have gained more communication skills and confidence, grasped a stronger knowledge of mechanical systems, and achieved a greater understanding of the project management side of construction that I know will?benefit?me throughout my career path.?

What is unique about the on-site experience??

During my time on-site, I have gained a vast amount of knowledge.?The reason I pursued McKinstry, specifically to be on-site of a new construction project as a project engineer, was to get that unique experience of having the opportunity to share time between the field and the office all within one job site and on one project.??

Every day I get to see something new that has changed or developed. One of the most beneficial pieces of advice I have gotten while working on-site has been, "If you don't understand what is going on in the field, you are not going to fully understand what is happening in the office." I try to apply this as much as I can when working on-site because I have believed it to be true.??

When I have gotten the chance to go into the field and visually see what we have been working on behind the scenes in the office, it is like the puzzle pieces come together. Specifically, when looking at mechanical drawings, it can sometimes be difficult to fully grasp what you are looking at. So, when given the chance to connect what you are seeing on a drawing with a physical system in the field, it has been?greatly beneficial, especially as a current student and intern.?

Warnaca?spent two years in the Construction Management program at Washington State University and?is?transferring to the University of Washington this?fall?to finish her degree.?