Our 2024 summer interns at RAND. #futurearchitects #futureengineers #futureleaders
As the summer of 2024 comes to a close, we'd like to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to the incredible interns who spent the past few months with us. Their energy, curiosity, and enthusiasm have truly enriched our office, and we are proud to have been a part of their professional journeys. Each of them brought their unique perspectives, skills, and dedication, contributing to our projects in ways that exceeded our expectations. In this blog post, we’re excited to share some of their reflections on their time at RAND, offering a glimpse into their experiences, growth, and the lasting connections they’ve made with our team.
Fabian Firu
Facade & Roofing Team
In the summer of 2024, I had the pleasure of interning at RAND Engineering & Architecture. Just finishing my junior year at university, I was eager to build up my experience and dive into the engineering world. Little did I know that RAND would grow to become my home away from home.
Starting at three days a week, I was brought along to construction sites by project managers. There, I was shown what is required of a PM when on site, what to look for, and the relations they had to build with everyone involved to ensure the project’s progression. The PMs were always great at getting me involved as much as possible, pointing out new concepts I had not seen before, and having me write site visit reports about what we saw.
About one month into the internship, I had the fortunate opportunity of finishing my work ahead of time before the day was over. With the phrase “What you put in is what you get out” in mind, I went around the office to ask anyone if they needed assistance. This led to me talking with one of the senior draftspersons on the Facade & Roofing Team and from there, my internship took a drastic turn.
No longer solely an assistant to the PMs, I began to take on drafting work. Preparing files for surveys, including scopes of work, and creating details for projects, I truly had my work cut out for me. Fortunately, the drafting team was more than happy to guide me and show me everything I needed to know. It was not long before I got the offer to intern for five days a week so that I could maximize this opportunity with the drafters.
The rest of the summer was doing as much as I could as a drafter while also occasionally going back to working with the PMs to go outside and stretch my legs. I also had a lot more time to get to know the staff and everyone working at RAND. I became more comfortable with everyone here and even started hanging out during lunch and after hours. I joined the RAND basketball team and even did my first 5K Race as a member of RAND.
The environment at RAND was incredible and beyond what I could have imagined for a workspace. Everyone is nice to talk to and the company is always doing free snacks or luncheons to get people together. I had worked in previous internships and jobs but nothing even comes close to what it is like to work here.
In summary, interning at RAND was the best decision I could have made this summer. The amount that I learned here cannot be quantified and puts my time in university to shame while also managing to make the experience truly joyful. I would come back here in a heartbeat and recommend anyone interested in this line of work to intern here as well.
Stephen Perez
Structural Team
I found out about RAND through their mentorship partnership with my high school. Mr. Varone, the firm founder and president, was my mentor, and he showed me what it was like to be an engineer working their way up in the field. Heading into college, I kept in touch with Mr. Varone, who showed true interest in my potential, and gave me an opportunity to continue at the firm with a summer internship.
My internship experience at RAND has been an insightful opportunity on what it means to be an engineer. Working with the structural department, I was able to develop necessary soft and hard skills that are vital to being successful in the engineering field. The environment is full of a supportive team of people who are willing to teach you and guide you through your work. I was able to understand what type of work is done both within the office and on sites where we see our work implemented into real life applications. Learning from people who are truly passionate about their work has asserted me that this is the career I am certain about and want to continue to pursue throughout my higher education.
A few things I was able to learn/improve on were software’s such as AutoCAD, Revit, and Excel. I was also able to strengthen my communication, organizational, and time-management skills. I was able to work on my own without being micromanaged, even as an intern. The environment was a healthy one where I was able to learn by myself and not get faulted for my errors or mistakes. One of the most enjoyable experiences at RAND was going to visit the projects we were working on. New York City is a very big place that is only going to improve and grow, and thus being a part of that process is something that mesmerizes me and motivates me to leave a piece of myself in every project.
RAND is truly an amazing place; with many opportunities to learn from. They also offer so many forms of relaxation and time away from work, giving you that perfect work-life balance. I hope to keep in touch with the firm in the future and hopefully work with them after my degree is completed.
Lucas Grissett
Administrative Team
I am an Administrative Team intern here at RAND, and during my time here, I had the opportunity to shadow several different professionals including RAND's office manager, receptionist, IT manager, and members of the maintenance team. I learned a lot from each person I worked with and gained valuable knowledge about the day-to-day operations of an engineering firm. One of the key aspects of my experience was understanding the details behind the final revisions of a project before it is built. I took a deeper look at plans and their details, which helped me appreciate the intricate process involved in bringing a project to completion. This overall experience and opportunity I am very thankful for. I still have a couple of weeks left here at RAND, so I am going to continue to learn as much as I can, and continue to help out employees in the office.
Leah Gurock
Administrative Team
This summer I interned at RAND Engineering and Architecture. I worked on the top floor on the administrative team. I helped scan and label important documents. I also got to spend a lot of time at the front desk. It easily became my favorite job that I have had the chance to do.
RAND has an amazing atmosphere of comfort and friendship. Before and after work, you can catch people joking in the elevators. Everyone is super friendly and kind which makes it easy to feel comfortable fast.
Working at RAND has been an incredible experience that I have enjoyed. While I do have to do work, it does not feel like a chore. I look forward to coming to work to see people and be part of this incredible team.
Danielle Gibson
Facade & Roofing Team
Working at RAND has been a great experience, and I have learned so much. From the day I started, everyone has been very friendly and welcoming. I’ve established meaningful connections with people in the office and it’s apparent RAND treats their employees very well. I am very thankful to have been a part of an environment like this.
My work experience included shadowing project managers (PMs), engineers, and architects on and off site. They would take their time to give background information on the repairs needed. I was shown construction drawings, then the construction process, materials being used and how it’s all assembled.
I had the opportunity to meet many contractors and superintendents and observe how the Project Manager (PM) effectively interacted with them. Most site visits went smoothly, showcasing the team's strong coordination and attention to detail. On one occasion, the PM identified a potential issue where the construction team was using incorrect materials and misinterpreting the drawings. The PM promptly addressed the situation by coordinating an on-site meeting with the contractor to ensure everything was corrected swiftly. This experience taught me the importance of maintaining professionalism and clear communication as an engineer or architect on site to ensure the success of a project.
After going on site, I’d use my notes/pictures from my visits and prepare a site visit report for the PM to review. This helped test my knowledge of what I saw on site and being able to match them with photographs. I eventually picked up on how the engineers and architects use certain terminology and descriptive methods to write their reports.
One of the most interesting things I’ve learned at RAND is understanding the process of how business itself is run. Throughout my internship I was able to experience different states of progress in the many projects that I was part of, as I would visit sites, new to post-construction, complete various forms of paperwork, and see some projects come to completion.
Something I learned about myself is that I really enjoy reading the history of buildings and getting to piece together how the PMs approach and solve certain problems in projects. I began to see the engineers/architects as detectives, immense problem solvers and consistently financially shrewd. The work they’ve done is incredibly remarkable, leaving me inspired and grateful to have been a part of this experience.
