2022 Summer Interns

In partnership with the Intern Omaha program.

This internship allowed me to grow and learn what it’s like to be in the professional workforce. I feel like a different person than when I started in June.

This is E&A’s seventh internship program year, with fourteen total participants. Twelve interns attend the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Doane University. E&A’s partnership with Intern Omaha also brought in two high school interns, one from Millard West High School and me from Bryan High School. (GO BEARS!)

Before taking on this opportunity, I didn’t know what to expect. My only reference for an office job is with the TV show, The Office. I guessed I would be the person at the bottom filing paper, getting coffee for my superiors, and just doing busy work. Well, I was wrong!

I’ve learned what it means to work in marketing by doing daily tasks that marketing departments do, such as creating social media posts and branded materials and job shadowing. I was given a general idea of what needed to be done and had been creative freedom to work my magic. Being trusted to experiment with designs encouraged me to try new things and improve my skills.

One of the projects I am proud of is the Marketing Minute. It’s a quarterly email updating the entire company on what the marketing department has accomplished. After it was sent out, one of our project managers emailed our team to tell us that they enjoyed reading the Minute and that it was very informative and professional. Knowing that people wanted it and my work mattered was good.

The other interns also got hands-on experience, from office work to fieldwork and everything in between.

“I got the opportunity to learn about civil site design by working in AutoCAD on many of E&A’s current projects,” Civil Engineering Intern Alison Fricke said.

E&A does a great job ensuring that all its employees are well-rounded by understanding all sides of the company. We were able to explore fields that might interest us. Three-time intern Andrew Hukill has been able to get hands-on experience in the office as an engineering technician and in the field as a land surveyor and municipal services technician.

“E&A has given me an opportunity unlike any other; to explore engineering and all of the different fields that make it possible. I have enjoyed working with a large variety of people and learning an incredible amount about engineering,” Hukill said.

One of the highlights of my summer was E&A’s Intern Exploration Series. On these intern-only days, we heard from different people within the company and former interns who became employees. For me, especially since I’m not pursuing engineering, it was nice to continue learning more about the company’s different aspects. Those afternoons also brought networking events through meals, bowling, a baseball game, and a pickle ball tournament. It allowed all fourteen of us to bond and have a good time while learning about the company. I was not expecting to have days specifically for interns only.

Another surprise for me was the company culture. Every employer says they have a great culture, but I was warned to expect the opposite. That didn’t happen here at E&A! The people here genuinely care about each other and their work. I was shown this during my job shadowing, but also with just talking to people. Everyone I’ve spoken to has been very open, including the President, Tom Nussrallah, and the CEO, Jason Thiellen. Tom and Jason point out to every employee, including the interns, that they are open to talking and are here for us. I would never have imagined I’d be able to walk right into a CEO’s office and speak to him, but I did!

E&A also highlights the importance of giving back to the community. We volunteered with Keep Omaha Beautiful to clean out and mark storm drains. We also were tasked with a service project for a local organization. We collaborated as interns to raise $3,436.05 for the AIM Institute, a nonprofit organization supporting low-income Omaha students who want to pursue STEM careers. Seeing the entire company get together for a good cause and watching all of the interns’ hard work pay off was lovely. A little incentive helped too; a company-wide pizza party and pieing the losing team, as well as our CEO, Jason. I was the chosen one to smash the pie on Jason’s face.

Throughout the summer, I did not feel like just an intern. E&A’s internship program indeed functioned to develop us into well-rounded professionals. I am continuing with my experience through my senior year of high school and am excited to see what else I can accomplish.