A Summer of Learning, Growth, and Connection as a McGill Intern
McGill's Internship Experience from and Intern's Perspective
By a McGill Summer Intern
As my summer internship at McGill comes to a close, I can confidently say it has been one of the most rewarding experiences. This year, McGill welcomed 16 interns across its North Carolina offices, representing a variety of disciplines including marketing; funding services; mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering; civil engineering; and water/water engineering. Together, we came from universities across the country, including North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina, Western Carolina University, University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), Mississippi State University, the University of Toledo, and the University of Georgia.
From the first day, it was clear that McGill's internship program is about much more than gaining technical experience. The program is designed to help young people learn about the company, build relationships with employees, and develop a deeper understanding of the many career paths available within the organization.
Learning from Others
One of the most valuable parts of the internship was our weekly intern meetings. These sessions gave us the opportunity to learn about McGill from a variety of perspectives. We met with members of the company's Young Professionals group, who shared their experiences transitioning from college to professional life and offered advice on building successful careers. Hearing directly from younger employees made the path from intern to full-time professional feel more attainable and helped us better understand McGill's culture.
Growing through Mentorship
We also had the opportunity to speak with former interns who are now full-time employees. These conversations spanned multiple practice areas and graduation years, giving us insight into how their internships helped shape their careers. Their stories showed us how the skills and relationships we were building this summer could support our own professional growth in the years ahead.
Building Connections
Throughout the summer, we learned about McGill's diverse practice areas through presentations from Practice Area Leaders and team members across the company. These sessions highlighted the wide range of projects McGill delivers and demonstrated how different disciplines collaborate to serve communities throughout the Southeast. Whether an intern's focus was engineering, funding services, or marketing, everyone gained a broader understanding of the firm's impact and capabilities.
Finding Time for Fun
Of course, the internship program was not all presentations and project work. McGill also made time for interns to connect outside the office and build relationships with one another. One memorable experience was attending a Crawdad’s minor league baseball game with our mentors. This gave us the opportunity to get to know colleagues from different offices and practice areas while enjoying the ball game. The Young Professionals group also hosted a whitewater rafting trip on the Nantahala. Events like these helped create friendships that extended beyond work and made the summer even more enjoyable.
Sharing Our Results
The summer concluded with an end-of-internship event that celebrated everything we had learned and accomplished. Hosted at the North Carolina Aviation Museum, the event began with presentations from each intern. We shared projects we had worked on, lessons we had learned, challenges we had overcome, and experiences that shaped our summer. It was inspiring to see the variety of work being completed across the company and to hear how each intern had grown professionally over the past few months.
Andy Lovingood, President, opened the event by reflecting on our summer experience and offering valuable advice for our future careers. Doug Chapman, Vice President, also joined us, providing thoughtful feedback and engaging questions during the presentations. Their support reinforced McGill's commitment to investing in its people and helping young professionals succeed.
After the presentations, we enjoyed lunch together before wrapping up the day with a pickleball tournament at the Carolina Pickleball Club in Hickory. Interns paired up and competed in a friendly tournament filled with laughter, teamwork, and a little healthy competition. It was the perfect way to celebrate a successful summer and the connections we had built along the way.
Choosing McGill for Your Next Internship
This year's intern group included eight students who were new to McGill, six returning for their second summer, and two returning for their third. That level of return participation speaks volumes about the experience McGill provides. As an intern, I leave this summer with valuable technical knowledge, stronger professional skills, meaningful relationships, and a greater appreciation for the people and culture that make McGill such a great place to work.
For any student looking to gain real-world experience while being supported by professionals who are invested in their success, McGill's internship program offers an exceptional opportunity. I am grateful for the experiences, friendships, and lessons from this summer, and I look forward to seeing how they shape my future career.
