Hello! My name is Griffin Small and I spent the summer of 2018 working as a construction project engineer intern at McKinstry’s Seattle headquarters. Primarily, I’ve been working on the Central Kitsap High School/Middle School jobsite.

Learning was my biggest takeaway from this summer—lots and lots of learning. Before I dive into that, though, I’ll introduce myself a little. I was born and raised in Edmonds, Wash. and am currently attending Saint Martin’s University in Olympia, Wash. I’m a rising senior majoring in mechanical engineering. I’m also a soccer player and a goalkeeper (any other goalkeepers should feel free to reach out, we’re a dying breed)!

As you can probably tell from my photo, I’m also a full-on ginger (red hair and freckles, if you were unfamiliar with the term), so other gingers please feel free to reach out as well—we’re also a dying breed. Being an athlete and an engineering student simultaneously has been a tremendous challenge. Learning to manage my time playing soccer and traveling while also keeping with my studies has been tough, but I think it will help me in real-life situations as I get older.

My time at McKinstry has been a truly incredible experience. I met some amazing people and learned more than I could have ever imagined. Our scope of work on the Central Kitsap jobsite was specifically HVAC, so I got to really dive in and learn all about those systems.

I really appreciated how I got to not only see what McKinstry does on paper and in the field, but also observe all the other tradespeople on the jobsite. I was fortunate to have been placed with an amazing team this summer. They were welcoming and would always be there to answer any question I had. Special thanks go to my boss, McKinstry Project Director Rob Carlton, who took the time to help me grasp many different concepts and taught me so much over a short three-month span.

Overall, interning at McKinstry through the B.L.U.E. Program was an awesome experience. Don’t tell my engineering professors, but I learned more in my three months here than I have in school the past three years. I met some wonderful people, such as Jess, my jobsite foreman, whose favorite saying by the end of the summer seemed to be “Griffin, Griffin: Why you always trippin’?”

McKinstry is a fantastic company with incredible people. I’m very fortunate to have had the opportunity to intern here this summer.