My Project Management Internship at
During the summer of 2024 from May through August I was blessed enough to be the Project Management Intern at Prime Building and Development in Lacey, WA. Over the course of this summer I was able to get my first taste of both the custom home construction world, as well as the marine development world, from a project management standpoint.
Starting the summer, the company was working on a fascinating marine construction project for a client who needed to re-do the pier that connected their boat house to the shore. Not having any construction knowledge going into this internship, the learning curve was a hill that I had to quickly overcome as me and my team pressed forward to meet deadlines. Learning for the first time basic construction skills while also being introduced to project management concepts simultaneously proved to be an amazing opportunity to test my ability to absorb information and create S.M.A.R.T goals for myself. It became apparent as the summer went on what a great learning opportunity I had through this internship. Around June we finished the dock for the client (pictured below) and transitioned to assisting / preparing for subcontractors on the companies numerous custom built home sites.
During this phase of my internship I got to learn many new construction skills. I learned how to read architectural plans and steak out physical foundation makers, how to professionally paint residential homes (both interior and exterior) as well as learning general job-site management skills. I also got the chance to familiarize myself and use the project management software "Microsoft Projects." I was able to help the company switch from using an outdated software to M.P. by moving their framework from the old software to the new software so they could continue to track their custom home builds in the same way across softwares.
All in all, this summer internship was invaluable in preparing myself for a future career in both construction project management and project management as a whole. As an entrepreneurship focusing Business Admin student working so closely with a small business and getting an inside look at their operations truly ignited my passion all the more. I learned so much from both my site supervisor and the company owner about being a good businessman, both ethical and delivering quality workmanship as well as more hands on construction skills that I may not have obtained if I hadn't engaged in this internship. Firsthand I was able to see my entrepreneurship course work that I had engaged in during my education at Biola University played out in practice, not just in theory. The skills I learned in both on and offsite education I have no doubt I will carry with me for the rest of both my professional, and personal life. I am so excited for what my future may hold as a project manager and I have no doubt that my summer at Prime Building and Development is the first step down that exciting career path.