Meet Our Summer Interns!

AE Design hosted two summer interns this year:
Riley is entering her fifth year at Kansas State, and Kelsi is beginning her fourth year at University of Nebraska at Omaha. Both are pursuing five-year Master of Architectural Engineering degrees. As they wrap up their time with our team, they sat down to share about their experiences.

What attracted you to the field of electrical engineering and lighting design? How has your internship experience reinforced or challenged your initial expectations?

R: My first introduction to lighting design was through technical theater when I was in high school. I started thinking about what other opportunities there might be to use those skills, and found Architectural Engineering, which turned out to be this great mix of analytical and creative thinking. My time at AE Design has reinforced that I like exploring both lighting and power design, and understanding both pieces gives you a really unique design approach.

K: Growing up, I was always very into art, style, aesthetics, and architecture. I love the way lighting goes hand in hand with those creative fields. During this internship, I’ve gotten more exposure to power design, and have enjoyed digging into the technical calculations in both disciplines. It has shown me that I enjoy that detail work as part of the overall design process.

Could you describe a specific project or task that you worked on during your internship? What were your responsibilities, and what skills or knowledge did you gain from this experience?

R: I’m working on a very fun project that’s under an NDA (laughs) so I can’t say too much, but it features an amazing garden. It has been really cool because the owner is very focused on user experience, so we’re getting to start from a design-focused place, rather than starting with practical needs. I’ve also enjoyed hopping in and out of a lot of projects doing quick tasks, which has built my skills quickly because I get to iterate and apply what I learned at a fast pace. And I feel like my organizational skills have really clicked this summer in terms of workload management and scheduling, it has been great to work on such a communicative team who shared their strategies.

K: I have worked on a lot of different project types: veterinary clinics, a city campus, commercial buildings… It has been cool to see how projects change throughout the process, and learn to adapt and change as things evolve. I’ve learned a ton of new technical skills using drafting and visualization software and got to see how lighting and power tie together in a bigger picture beyond basic circuiting. I was glad to be given more responsibility than previous internships, so I got a chance to really try things out, fail, learn, and not be afraid to take a shot at something new. 

As your internship comes to an end, what advice would you give to future interns in the field of electrical engineering and lighting design? Are there any specific skills, resources, or networking opportunities that you would recommend they pursue?

R: Definitely get to know other people in your program a few years ahead of you, they can teach you a lot. And go to the career fairs to meet companies, but don’t stop there. Getting on calls and doing a little chit chat is so helpful to check the vibe of the team you’ll be working with.

K: Start in your freshman year! My program does a great job of providing opportunities, and if you can start the conversations early, you can set yourself up for later. I spoke to a few companies over the course of several years as I determined what kind of experience would be most valuable for me. Remember that you’re interviewing them, too – finding the right fit of company culture matters a lot.

What fun things have you been doing outside of work?

R: I’ve been hiking a lot, having a lot of new mountain-y experiences. I loved exploring Rocky Mountain National Park, and had a blast at the Rockies fireworks.

K: I brought my dog with me, and we’ve done a lot of hiking, biking and exploring the neighborhoods. It has been great to get to know a new city!