Wallace Design Collective

The summer of 2024 marked the second year of our official summer internship program, and it was a remarkable step forward. In 2023, we welcomed 24 interns to our program. After learning that managing 24 interns was quite a challenge last year, we decided to increase the program’s capacity. This summer, we welcomed 31 interns.

The feedback from the summer of 2023 was overwhelmingly positive. For a refresher see last year’s blog. There’s no better indicator of a program’s success than having the interns themselves rave about their experience – although there’s always that hint of skepticism beneath my pride.

Building on Success – Metrics that Matter

Now, let’s assess our progress using some key metrics.

How about returning interns from 2023? Of the 24 interns from last year, 12 returned, with eight continuing their internships and four returning as full-time employees. That means over 33% came back for an additional internship! While I believe tracking full-time hires over a five-year period is a more accurate gauge of long-term success, the fact that nearly 17% have already transitioned into full-time roles is impressive – especially considering that many interns are not yet in their senior year.

We also attracted interns from 11 different institutions across the nation. These included schools like Colorado School of Mines, University of Oklahoma, and Georgia Tech, among others. Bringing in students from a variety of institutions not only adds to the diversity of perspectives in our program but also strengthens our network across the nation.

Addressing Challenges to Make Lives Better

Despite last year’s success, there was still room for improvement. Before the 2023 program ended, I sat down with our Tulsa interns to gather their input on how we could enhance the program. Listening to their suggestions was incredibly enlightening. I expected to hear suggestions about engineering or software improvements, but what I heard instead took me by surprise. The two most pressing concerns were housing during internships and the ability to connect with other interns across different offices.

Fortunately, these are problems we can solve! 

Tackling Housing Difficulties

I truly underestimated the difficulties of the housing market for summer interns. I thought I started figuring this out early enough, yet I was very wrong. I knew housing was expensive, but it had been a while since I was in the market. Short-term housing is worse! Everywhere I called had an additional upcharge for short-term leases of at least $200 a month. Although our internships are paid, it became evident why most college students tend to intern near their current housing or reside with relatives.

This year, we established multiple housing options for each of our seven offices. During the exit interviews with the 2024 interns, one asked about housing options in other offices and I was pleased to inform them that we now have it figured out for all locations. That same intern has now received an offer for a 2025 summer internship in a different office at Wallace.

Fostering Connections Across Offices

To address the need for better connections between internships across our seven offices, we introduced ECHO groups to our program. These meetings, which began a few years ago for our full-time employees, have been integral in our ongoing commitment to making lives better. ECHO meetings help improve communication with leadership as a time to connect with fellow employees while providing perspective on various subjects. These sessions offer an opportunity for open dialogue, reflection, and assist in setting objectives for our company. Employees’ participation and input are invaluable as they contribute to fostering a culture of open communication and continuous improvement within Wallace. I led the implementation of this program initiative into our summer program by organizing the interns into five groups, which were randomly reassigned three times over the summer. Each session lasted 30-45 minutes, allowing interns from different offices to connect without causing significant disruption to their workday. 

These meetings also allowed me to verify that our interns were receiving the experience they wanted. If something wasn’t working as intended, I had the flexibility to make adjustments mid-internship. While there is still work to be done in connecting our interns, the feedback from this first step was very positive.

Additionally, we piloted a structural engineering problem-solving exercise every Friday morning for the structural interns across One Wallace. We tasked them with a challenging problem with an emphasis on learning rather than getting the correct answer. Afterward, we reviewed the solution and explained why certain approaches were incorrect. This helped interns bond over the complexity of engineering and the challenges they’ll later face with professional exams and their careers. The success of this initiative was quite successful, and we are looking to roll this out for our other disciplines next summer.

Looking Ahead – Continuous Improvement

For the summer of 2025, we’re planning to introduce a new short series called Crash Course. I asked our interns what topics they’d like a crash course in – something not covered in school that they felt would be useful. I expected responses about technical engineering topics like diaphragms or vertical irregularities, but the answers I received were quite different and insightful.

The plan is to break out the crash courses into 30-45 minute discussions led by a senior employee with knowledge specific to the topic. We don’t want interns to feel like they are back in class, so we will avoid the lecture style and opt for a conversation about the given topic. We’ll schedule one crash course every other week.

In these crash courses, we’ll also cover topics like company benefits, which, to my surprise, didn’t generate many questions during the exit interviews. When I asked interns if they had any questions about the benefits we offer, I mostly received blank stares. And honestly, I would’ve reacted the same way when I graduated – the only thing I cared about was the salary! I mean really, do you remember anyone in your graduating class going around and talking about the company benefits they were being offered? Probably not. 

I know that no one explained company benefits to me or how I could use them to my advantage before starting my first job. Next summer, we will discuss company benefits with our interns so they better understand the job offers they’ll be receiving upon graduation. We will equip them with the knowledge to ask the right questions of potential employers. As the Internship Coordinator, my goal is for our interns to find the right job for them, and if that happens to be at Wallace, that’s great. If not, we’ll feel confident knowing we’ve helped them make the best decision for their future.

Join our Team 2025

At Wallace Design Collective, we truly value the insight and experience that our interns bring to the team. We take pride in helping them develop their technical knowledge and guiding them through the complexities of working in the AEC industry. Our internship curriculum focuses on providing a well-rounded experience of what our industry offers, from inspections and forensics to site visits and technical design.

Are you a student looking to gain real-world experience in both the technical and operational aspects of an AEC firm?

We offer technical internships in civil engineering, structural engineering, landscape architecture, land surveying, land planning, and roof consulting.

For those interested in the business side of our industry, we also provide internships with opportunities in both our marketing and human resources departments. Reach out for more information by visiting our careers page.