MEET THE INTERNS Jonathan Sizemore


A construction management student at Chico State, Jonathan Sizemore said construction was a natural choice for him. “When I was very young, I


would go on job walks with my parents who are in the industry, and the first job I ever held was in the residential construction field. From then on, I knew this is what I’d want to continue doing for a living.” Sizemore interned with Whiting-Turn- er this summer, where his experiences centered around performing project man- agement tasks on a large-scale project. “So far, I’ve been assigned to the fram-


ing, drywall, and the ceiling scopes on the two buildings we’re constructing, which has been the highlight of my in- ternship to date,” he said. “What I have learned most during my internship that has been valuable to me has been man- aging change orders, verifying costs, and moving money around from contingen- cies and allowances.” Sizemore said that he learned about


Whiting-Turner through participation in his AGC student chapter. “The job that I’m currently on was actually the last job walk our AGC Chico chapter put together. I think walking and learning about the jobsite with Whit- ing-Turner convinced me to change pace from smaller projects, which is what I was doing at my previous workplace, to a larger job.”


Gabriela Espinoza Perez Currently a senior at UC Berkeley majoring in civil engineering with a minor in data science, Gabrie- la Espinoza Perez said she chose to go into construc-


tion “because I grew up within the in- dustry and love seeing the process of a project from beginning to end.” As a summer intern with Plant Con-


struction, she was assigned to the Diablo Country Club renovation project. She spent time each day walking the site to note discrepancies between the drawings and current field conditions, creating RFIs where needed, and collaborating with project managers, engineers, and subcontractors to assist in project coor- dination activities, among other things. “I’ve absorbed so much information in these past weeks and I’m very grate- ful to my team for having the faith in me to tackle the tasks they assign,” she commented. “I’ve learned more about how a project schedule is constructed and modified throughout the project’s timeline, which should help me during the ASC Competition this next year!” Perez added, “This internship has


shown me a different side of construction. I frequently interact with subcontractors, and it’s fascinating to hear them speak about their trades. I’m walking the site every day and it’s interesting to see how although from the outside it doesn’t look like anything is changing, within a week there are many notable differences. Tis internship has solidified my choice to go into the construction industry.”


Hector Garcia


As a transfer stu- dent from Mt. San Antonio College heading into his se- nior year at Cal Poly Pomona, Hector Garci is majoring in construction en- gineering and man-


agement and chose his major based on the “satisfaction of knowing I contributed to building a better community.” Garcia interned with Underground


Construction Company in their electrical division this summer, securing the position after meeting Underground Construction during AGC of California’s CONSTRUCT 2022. During the internship, he helped the company roll out new construction software to facilitate superintendents, foremen and other workers being able to view and submit documentation in the field, among other duties. “Meeting and conversing with the com-


pany’s president, VPs, and directors during our UECCo intern summit was the highlight of the internship so far,” Garcia comment- ed when we caught up with him midway through the program. “It allowed me to network and hear from the leadership of the company. Everyone was welcoming, and I learned about the challenges the company has had to overcome to be the largest underground company in the U.S.” How has it impacted his perception of the industry? “I have learned that ev- eryone has to play their part and come together for a project to be successful,” he said. “Construction has many moving parts and rapid changes that occur at any moment’s notice.”


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CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023


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