Influencing Change Through Real-World Experience

The 2022 Intern Program

Dating back to 1989, ISG’s growing internship program has welcomed 40 interns to the 2022 program. From interior design and marketing to transportation and civil engineering, our talented interns are gaining experience in a variety of disciplines. Working alongside full-time ISG employee-owners, interns get first-hand exposure by assisting with projects related directly to their role and participating in activities within their local office. While the interns learn and experience new things throughout the summer, they also offer their unique perspectives that bring new ideas and streamlined solutions to even the most experienced project teams.

How do the ISG interns feel about their experience this summer?

“My favorite part of the ISG internship experience thus far has been the cross-disciplinary exposure and collaboration between offices. I now have a different perspective on how to approach projects, while being mindful and considerate of the team. I’ve also had opportunities for site visits, client meetings, and behind-the-scenes charettes.” – Daniel Heckmann, Architecture Intern

“My favorite part about interning at ISG has been getting to experience the job hands on. I also love how everyone is so welcoming in and out of the office. I have been able to participate in things like an office step challenge and a weekly volleyball league!” – Rylee Johnson, Interior Design Intern

“My favorite part of interning at ISG has been learning and developing new skills. I came into my internship not having much practical CAD experience, but really interested in design work. Over the past weeks I’ve been able to develop my CAD skills and apply it to projects, which has been really cool.” – Ellenor Whitney, Civil Intern

About the Interns

Let’s check out some stats from this year’s program.

Which offices are they in?

• Bloomington, Minnesota: 1
• Des Moines, Iowa: 8
• Green Bay, Wisconsin: 4
• La Crosse, Wisconsin: 2
• Mankato, Minnesota: 12
• Sioux Falls, South Dakota: 7
• St. Louis Park, Minnesota: 2
• Storm Lake, Iowa: 2
• Waterloo, Iowa: 2

How many are in each department?

• Accounting: 1
• Architecture: 8
• Civil: 6
• Environmental: 1
• Interior Design: 2
• Land Survey: 5
• Landscape Architecture: 1
• Marketing: 1
• Mechanical/Electrical: 2
• Office Support: 1
• Structural: 4
• Transportation: 1
• Water Resources: 4
• Water/Wastewater: 3

Where do they go to school?

• Dordt University – Sioux Center, Iowa
• Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa
• Itasca Community College – Grand Rapids, Minnesota
• Kansas State University – Manhattan, Kansas
• Michigan Technological University – Houghton, Michigan
• Milwaukee School of Engineering – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Minnesota State University, Mankato – Mankato, Minnesota
• North Dakota State University – Fargo, North Dakota
• South Central College – North Mankato, Minnesota
• South Dakota State University – Brookings, South Dakota
• Southeast Technical College – Sioux Falls, South Dakota
• St. Cloud State University – St. Cloud, Minnesota
• University of Minnesota – Minneapolis, Minnesota
• University of St. Thomas – St. Paul, Minnesota
• University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• University of Wisconsin – Platteville – Platteville, Wisconsin

Which projects are they working on?

With a goal to give interns real-world exposure with their roles, ISG provides full-time internships that are similar in process to a full-time employee’s daily role. Let’s take a look at a few of the exciting projects the interns have been involved with this summer:

Civil engineering interns are involved in a variety of projects, including developing and reviewing shop drawings, as well as drafting improvements and conducting site inspections. Due to the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board’s new projected emissions requirements for environmental reviews, Environmental Intern Georic Musser is working on developing a greenhouse gas emissions program to reduce the time it takes to calculate the data for this requirement. Architecture interns are working on a variety of design projects such as tenant build outs, athletic facilities, and city halls. Water/wastewater interns are involved with wastewater model projects, ultraviolet system design, and editing and designing process and instrumentation diagrams.

Aside from the projects and daily tasks associated with their roles, the interns enjoy a summer filled with networking and participating in activities both in and out of the office. Our interns earn eight Impact Day volunteer hours to help their community and get to know other ISGers. Throughout the summer, ISG’s multi-disciplinary interns also took part in retreats, sports leagues, meet and greets, and other various events. Architecture intern Anika Gingle participated in an Impact Day that involved picking up debris after a storm. She also worked at a golf outing in an ISG tent, giving away prizes to those who stopped by and helped them play a Plinko game during their round of golf. Marketing and architecture interns attended their respective department retreats and got to know ISG and other ISGers within their disciplines better.

The knowledge, experiences, and relationships gained from an internship lay a solid foundation for a successful job search in the future and progress through a professional career. ISG’s internship program might even open a door to work at ISG full-time, like it did for Vice President and Food + Industrial Business Unit Leader, Brian Gjerde, who has been with ISG for over 25 years since his civil engineering internship.

As the summer comes to an end, we want to thank the interns for their hard work and new ideas. ISG wishes you the best in your future endeavors!