For the past few months, it’s been our distinct pleasure to welcome three young interns to the VPCS ranks, all up-and-coming professionals we’ve been proud to involve in our work. But our 2024 interns are not the only ones who have learned from the experience; we’ve also gained an enormous amount from them. “Talking with our interns about what they’re studying in school really helps VPCS understand what’s being taught – and, in some cases, what’s not being taught – in the programs training the next generation,” said Vice President Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson. “It gives us a better understanding of how to prepare our youngest employees for success.”
We chatted with our three 2024 interns – Olivia Schultz, Christopher Escalona-Barragan and Gabe Cabezas – to hear how they’ve spent their summers.
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Olivia Schultz
A rising junior in the undergraduate architecture program at the University of Tennessee, Olivia pursued her VPCS internship to learn more about the structural side of the built environment. “I decided to do this instead of an architecture internship because I’ve been learning a lot in school about design choices, but I realized I wanted to understand more about how buildings are actually built,” she said.
Olivia worked on a variety of projects as part of VPCS’s Napa Valley USD assignment. “It’s been so interesting going to job sites and assessing what’s needed, then looking at the design plans to see what solutions the architects are proposing,” she said. She was also involved in both ends of the moving process, helping pack up classrooms at the start of the summer and then moving things into newly renovated spaces in time for the start of the school year. “When it comes to understanding what VPCS does on a school site, I’ve gotten to see the before and after, which is really cool,” Olivia reported.
Olivia plans to add an extra year to her studies and graduate with degrees in both landscape and traditional architecture. In both contexts, she is drawn to the idea of sustainable design. “I’m really interested in the idea of making buildings – including schools – that last longer,” Olivia said. Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson thinks Olivia’s a natural. “Her assistance in the design of a new office space for district maintenance staff was very helpful to our team,” noted Kelli.
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Christopher Escalona-Barragan
A 2024 high school graduate, Chris also worked with the Napa Valley USD team, which is especially meaningful because it’s the district he grew up in. “I got connected to VPCS through a mentorship program at Vintage High School that matched students and graduates with local companies offering different internships,” said Chris. “I’ve really liked working here because it’s given me a lot of behind-the-scenes knowledge about what actually goes on when something’s getting built.”
Throughout the summer, Chris shadowed other team members just to observe and help however he could. “They gave me work to do and I just got it done,” he reported. Kelli, who also oversaw Chris’ efforts, agrees that he’s a great team player. “He has such a positive attitude and is always willing to pitch in,” she said.
Chris has a bit of industry experience working construction at his uncles’ Napa winery, although this has been his first exposure to construction management. The internship was well timed, since he is beginning a CM program at Santa Rosa Junior College this fall. “I’m definitely drawn to the ‘numbers’ side of this business; that’s more up my alley,” said Chris. “And I’m learning that there’s a lot of paperwork involved in construction management, which can be a lot of hard work. But it’s fun seeing it all pay off at the end of the project. That’s a good feeling.”
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Gabe Cabezas
Gabe has been part of the extended VPCS family for most of his life, as his father, Cesar Cabezas, has worked for the company for more than 20 years. “The whole time I was growing up, it’s almost been my calling to work here,” said Gabe. “I’ve always listened to what my dad has said about what he does for a living and it piqued my interest from an early age.”
His assignments this summer confirmed that he wants to end up in this industry when he starts his career. He’s spent the summer supporting the Pleasanton USD team and says he’s learned so much from everyone he’s worked with. “It was something different every day from going on site walks to organizing work files in the office,” he explained. “I really loved it.”
With his internship wrapped up, Gabe is returning to Jessup University, where he’s studying business with a focus on project and construction management. “This internship has been so helpful to get that first-hand experience to go with what I’m learning at school,” he said. “I hope to come back and work here full-time some day. The Van Pelts are just amazing people.”
August 26, 2024