Fresh Faces: Meet our 2020 summer interns
MEET OUR 2020 SUMMER INTERNS
They’re young; they’re talented; they come from all backgrounds, corners of the globe and walks of life — they’re the CG Schmidt 2020 summer interns. Meet them here.
Joel Baraka
Junior, UW-Madison
Civil Engineering
Joel is an international student in his junior year, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Construction Project Management at UW-Madison. He is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), located in west central Africa, but grew up in, and spent most of his life in, Uganda located in Eastern Africa. Besides engineering, Joel is very passionate about education and has created educational board games for school kids back home in Uganda. He also loves reading non-fiction, listening to entrepreneurship podcasts and playing soccer.
Civil Engineering
“I took time to learn about CG Schmidt, and their mission and their giving-back culture seemed exceptional. I didn’t really have to think twice when I was given the internship offer!”
Cody Ingwell
Junior, MSOE
Construction Management
Cody Ingwell has returned for his third summer internship with CG Schmidt. Last year, Cody was the Project Engineer at Whitnall High School and the previous year, at Baraboo School District. This year, he will work with Ben Falls on the Swallow School project. Cody just completed his third year at MSOE and will continue to work towards a degree in Construction Management. Prior to living in the Milwaukee area, Cody served in the United States Army as a Logistics Specialist and is a recipient of the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Good Conduct Medal. Thank you for your service, Cody!
Construction Management
“I learned so much from my last two summers with CG Schmidt that I knew I wanted to continue my internship with them and be a valuable member of the team.”
Abby Chi
Senior, UW-Madison
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Abby Chi will be joining our Madison office this summer at the new Madison Youth Arts Center project. Abby is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering with an Engineering for Energy Sustainability certificate at UW-Madison and is expected to graduate in May 2021. Abby is passionate about applying sustainable principles to how we build and develop our local and global communities.
Civil and Environmental Engineering
“I chose to intern with CG Schmidt because I wanted to be a part of a team who genuinely cares about their projects, employees, and community impact.”
Colin Davis
Sophomore, UW-Milwaukee
Human Resource Management
Colin is a Sophomore at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management with a minor in Psychology. He is a brother of Delta Sigma Pi and recently served as the Community Service chair. When he isn’t studying or volunteering, he loves to go to state parks, enjoy Summerfest with his friends and skiing up north at Granite Peak with his family. Colin will be working in HR at the Corporate Office this summer.
Human Resource Management
“I am excited to work at CG Schmidt this summer because I really appreciate how active CG Schmidt is with their service in the Milwaukee area. The people here are hardworking and love what they do!”
Caitlin Geurts
Junior, UW-Madison
Strategic Communications and Reporting
Caitlin is a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, pursuing a degree in Strategic Communications and Reporting while simultaneously working on a certificate in Graphic Design as the Design Director at The Badger Herald, she is responsible for the layout and design of the cover, feature spread and photo pages for each issue. Caitlin previously served as a layout editor at The Dish Madison and interned at Felins Packaging Solutions. In her free time, she enjoys painting, listening to investigative podcasts, and freelancing in graphic design. Caitlin loves meeting new people and is extremely excited to get to know everyone at CG Schmidt!
Strategic Communications and Reporting
“I decided to intern with CG Schmidt because I truly believe in the way they function with such care and integrity, building not just concrete structures but also connections with clients and the community.”
Steffan Demetropoulos
Senior, MSOE
Civil Engineering and Construction Management
Steffan is a senior at Milwaukee School of Engineering, pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering and Construction Management. Steffan has served 5 years as a Team Leader in the US Army and is currently an Intelligence Analyst with the US Army Reserves. He and his wife and three children live in Sussex and spend their free time renovating their home, biking on the bug line trail or heading out to a state park for some adventures. Steffan will be working with Erin Murphy and Jerrod Wolf on the MSOE Campus Center renovation and is looking forward to seeing the positive impact the center will have on both students and the community.
Civil Engineering and Construction Management
“I get to work on the MSOE Campus center renovation with CG Schmidt which is probably the coolest internship I could have landed.”
Ben Liang
Junior, UW-Madison
Civil Engineering
Ben is returning for his second internship with CG Schmidt. In 2019, Ben supported several projects, namely Monroe Clinic, UW Lowell Hall and WI River Orthopaedics. This year he will be joining Joe Perry, Steve Barlow and Derek Check up at the Baraboo School District project. Ben is a junior at UW-Madison, majoring in Civil Engineering. His favorite hobbies include fishing, bowling, playing soccer and supporting his team, The Liverpool FC.
Civil Engineering
“Through my internship last year with CG Schmidt I got to experience a lot of different types of projects and meet some amazing people. I couldn’t wait to come back this year!”
Olivia Flores
Junior, Marquette
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Olivia is a junior at Marquette University, studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and is returning for her second year at CG Schmidt. Last year, Olivia was instrumental in tackling a number of projects like preparing hundreds of safety helmets for the official company-wide rollout, she assisted with the annual files purge at the yard, and many other operational initiatives. Olivia will be working at the yard for the first few weeks and then she will be stationed at Corporate office for the rest of the summer.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
“I came back to intern this summer to continue learning about a professional environment and how they run. The experience I’ve gained from working with CG Schmidt has been great and I couldn’t be happier to continue that experience this summer.”
Jacob Pakos
Senior, UW-Platteville
Industrial Technology Management
Jacob just finished his junior year at UW Platteville, and plans to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology Management with an emphasis in Building Construction Management. He is really looking forward to working at CG Schmidt this summer as he is passionate about construction! During high school, Jacob worked on various construction projects with his father, and credits him for his interest in the industry. Today, Jacob is a member of the Construction Management Association and is hoping that his internships provides him with the opportunity to gain management experience. Jacob recently picked up golf as a hobby and is actively looking for tips that would help him “try to perfect his craft”.
Industrial Technology Management
“I decided to intern with CG Schmidt because it is a great company, and it was close to home for me.”
