My Experience as a Summer Intern: Hands-On Experience and Team Spirit

When I first arrived at Summer Consultants, I must admit I felt somewhat underprepared. My knowledge of HVAC systems and CAD programs was limited, and I was unsure of what to expect in a professional engineering environment. However, this apprehension quickly gave way to a sense of reassurance as I was met with an incredibly supportive team eager to share their expertise. This supportive environment at Summer Consultants would not only enhanced my technical skills but also provided me with a deeper understanding of the field of HVAC.

During the 12 weeks of my internship, I felt included from day one, as I was invited to join in sports activities after work. Although I couldn’t attend most of these events, I got to experience the company’s camaraderie during a friendly game of volleyball after a company picnic. Beyond these social events, I felt a strong sense of community at the company during the Summer Summit, a 3-day event where each discipline showcased their daily responsibilities and shared their passion for their work. As a mechanical engineering intern, I particularly enjoyed learning about the hard work that architects, electrical engineers, and fire protection engineers put in daily, which also helped me build a stronger foundation in engineering.

As an intern, I expected to be assigned menial tasks—something that is often reported in internships. However, this was not the case at Summer Consultants. I felt challenged from day one, working on real projects for real clients and having the opportunity to get my boots on the ground to conduct surveys for ongoing projects. The two most memorable projects I worked on over the summer were the renovation of Building 251 at Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia, and the Greenhouse Gas study at the SSA headquarters in Woodlawn, Maryland.

The Fort Myer project involved renovating an existing barracks into an office building for soldiers on the Army base. I felt a personal connection to this project due to my own military experience. I particularly enjoyed surveying the building with my mentor, Sarah, who pointed out various components in the mechanical room as well as the cooling towers and chillers located in an adjacent pit that supplied the building. This project tested my Revit skills, as it required me to construct the pits in the existing model and then revise and redesign the FCU (fan coil unit) locations and their associated ducts.

The Greenhouse Gas study at Woodlawn focused on assessing the energy usage of 3.3 million square feet of office and operational facilities and developing a plan to reduce reliance on the electrical grid while also using natural gas more efficiently. This project provided me with significant hands-on experience with IES and allowed me to learn some tricks and tips I had picked up while building energy models, as well as enhancing my knowledge of AutoCAD.

As I wrap up my 12 weeks at Summer Consultants, I leave with a newfound appreciation for the work that goes on behind the scenes in HVAC. I’ve come to realize that the work can easily go unnoticed by the average person, who is comfortably able to focus on their tasks and not worry about the temperature in the room. There is a satisfying feeling in knowing that the work I have done, even as an intern, matters and benefits the community down to the individual worker.