At Renfrow+Co, our internship program is our commitment to new talent and embracing fresh perspectives. This summer, we had the pleasure of welcoming Kai Chase for her first internship in the architectural engineering field.
Kai is a junior at the University of Texas at Austin studying Architectural Engineering. She joined our Development department this summer and dove headfirst into the world of bidding and estimating, while also contributing to exciting projects like shade structures for Memorial Green, the Zarzamora Creek Trail, and the Cielo Recreation Center. Kai’s enthusiasm and eagerness to learn made her a valued team member.
We sat down with Kai to discuss her experience, the skills she developed, and her favorite moments from her summer at Renfrow+Co:
What do you enjoy most about interning at Renfrow+Co?
I enjoyed learning so much about everything that goes into the company. I enjoyed getting to know and working with the people there, learning to estimate and bid jobs, drawing on Rhino, and more.
What are some of the highlights of your internship?
Some highlights were getting more experience using AutoCAD and Rhino, getting to go to a job site, estimating and bidding on interesting projects, working with an amazing and supportive team, and feeling a sense of trust from the people with whom I worked.
What advice would you give a future intern wanting to join our team?
Be open and excited to learn new things! It can be daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes fun, and you want to do more. Everyone is patient and helpful, so don’t be scared to ask questions.
How has your internship at Renfrow+Co helped you grow professionally and personally?
I have learned so much more than I could in my degree program at school! Seeing the inner workings of a successful business and learning about the process of designing, bidding, and construction has been invaluable. It was also helpful for me to realize how much I enjoy working in this field. In addition to this, I feel very lucky to have worked with supportive mentors.
What specific skills or knowledge did you gain or improve upon during your time here?
I learned more about how to read and understand plans, estimate and bid jobs, work with other people on a team, and I gained more experience in AutoCAD and Rhino with drawing and templating.
Which of the Renfrow+Co points of emphasis resonates the most with you? (Imagination, Translated, Creative Craftsman, Deep Knowledge, Meticulously Artistic) What does that mean to you in your internship?
I think Imagination, Translated resonates the most with me. It’s incredible to see the transformation from just ideas and plans to the actual thing. It’s always so amazing to see what everyone in the shop is doing and how it all translates into artistic structures. It has been inspiring for me to visit some of the past projects and to see the final products.
One project that I particularly loved was the work for the Houston Audubon bird sanctuary in High Island, Texas. I visited the sanctuary long before working at Renfrow+Co and was really impressed by the vision and quality of that project!
What’s it like working with the Renfrow+Co team?
It’s the best! I have no doubt that I was spoiled working for Renfrow+Co. It is a very open and inviting community where I felt like part of the team and was able to ask any questions I had. I got the opportunity to work alongside Alex, as well as Christian and Matthew, who were all amazing mentors. Everyone else on the team has been really wonderful and supportive as well.
