For six weeks under the guidance of district contract manager Joseph Rockett, they made several stops at architecture firms and campuses to learn from industry professionals about design, engineering, project management and safety. “I remember thinking of construction services as just buildings. The internship mimicked the process of a construction project, teaching students that a successful plan begins years before groundbreaking starts, and how all roles come together to meet a common goal. As students wrapped up their final group project and personal portfolios, many shared how the program provided personal reassurance. By interacting with industry professionals who bypassed traditional college tracks, students learned that the architecture world welcomes a wide variety of life experiences and nontraditional career paths.