The Henderson Engineers Intern Experience

Nicole Schwarz: Mechanical Intern

Hometown: Rogers, AK

College: University of Kansas

Major: Architectural Engineering

Facts about Nicole:

If Nicole could travel back in time, she would go back to 1806 during the midst of the Napoleonic Wars so she could observe the war strategies and tactics firsthand.

Her go-to song at karaoke night is 'Come Sail Away' by Styx.

If Nicole could have any superpower, she would to be able to adapt to deep levels of water so she could explore the depths of the ocean without any sort of gear.

Luke Mejia: Electrical Intern

Hometown: Liberty, MO

College: University of Kansas

Major: Architectural Engineering

Facts about Luke:

Luke chose to work at HEI for an unmeasurable learning experience to advance his knowledge in the field of engineering.

His most embarrassing moment was when he accidentally scored an own goal on his youth soccer team.

If he could learn to do anything, he would want to speak better Portuguese.

Kristin Hanna: Acoustics Intern

Hometown: Bellevue, NE

College: University of Nebraska at Lincoln- Omaha Campus

Major: Architectural Engineering

Facts about Kristin:

If Kristin could have any superpower, she would want to be able to read minds like Professor X.

If she could go back in time, she would travel to the 1920's so she could be a part of the Jazz Age and see the social changes that happened during that decade.

Kristin doesn't have a favorite lunch spot close to the office but is always down for a place with a good burger!

Matthew Klegseth: Mechanical Engineering Intern

Hometown: Kansas City, MO

College: Missouri University of Science and Technology

Major: Civil & Architectural Engineering

Facts about Matthew:

Matthew chose HEi to get more experience in design.

If he could have any super power, he would choose to control time.

Kailynn Weyrauch: Electrical Engineering Intern

Hometown: Lee's Summit, MO

College: Kansas State

Major: Architectural Engineering

Facts about Kailynn:

If Kailynn could have any super power, she would choose super strength.

If she could time travel, she would go back to the Roman empire.

Her go-to karaoke song is "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."

Elmers' Volunteer: Bowl for Kids' Sake

Recently, intern Hannah Hegarty and HEI's team, Elmers, formed a bowling team for Big Brothers Big Sisters' fundraiser- Bowl for Kids' Sake. The team raised a total of $785 for the great cause!

"This was a really fun experience and it was nice to hang out with co-workers in a different setting. We also won cool prizes if we got a strike! Our team ended up calling ourselves the "Try Hards" because one of our members received a prize from a little boy since she was trying so hard!

I would definitely recommend this event for other teams to participate in!"

Israel Mendoza: Electrical Engineering Intern

Hometown: Ulysses, KS

College: Kansas State

Major: Architectural Engineering

Facts about Israel:

Israel chose HEI because of their relaxed atmosphere as well as their portfolio of projects.

If Israel could travel in time, he would go back to when the Colosseum was constructed in Rome.

He once stayed up for 40 hours, waking up Friday and then playing a 24 hour softball tournament that night.

Israel's favorite place to grab lunch around the office is Chipotle.

Royal's Game

Matt Swaback: Mechanical Designer Level 1

Hometown: Chicago, IL

College: Kansas University

Major: Architectural Engineering

Facts about Matt:

Matt choose to intern at HEI because of their strong reputation in the MEP field and the variety of projects that HEI works on.

He enjoys to ski on both water and snow, but would love to learn to snowboard and wakeboard!

The person who inspires him most is his dad, because he has a hard-working attitude with a personable and friendly personality.

Glynis Thompson: Fire Protection Intern

Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona

College: University of Kansas

Major: Architectural Engineering 

Facts about Glynis:

One of her favorite places to get lunch is Elsa's Ethiopian in downtown Overland Park, she highly recommends it for anyone wanting to try something new!

She is very interested in old architecture, so if she could travel in time it would be to when one of the seven wonders of the world was being built.

Her first job was working at a store that sold shoes with holes that rhymes with "Frocks".

KANSAS CITY INTERN VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

By: Audrey Danser

Lighting representatives often visit the office to inform our team about the newest technologies and products available on the market. Rather than a lecture-style presentation, many of the lighting representatives treat the time as a conversation. Each conversation addresses a unique product or technology, with which I am able to interact with up close, learn technical details, and determine improvements by comparison.

Realizing that I am new to the industry, the representatives are very responsive to questions and take the time to explain concepts I do not know yet, making me feel valued as a young professional in the lighting industry. Through these presentations, I have learned the power of demonstration and how important it is to show a client the technology you plan to implement in their project.

Hanna Kurian: Architectural Lighting Intern

Hometown: Coimbatore, India

College: University of Kansas

Major Architectural Engineering

Facts about Hanna

Hanna chose to intern at HEI because she had heard great things about the intern program and company culture. She was also very excited to be a part of HEI's specialty Architectural Lighting division, which is the field she wants to enter in her professional career.

If she could learn to do anything it would be to "re-learn the basic cooking techniques, and do it how the professional chefs do it!"  

She is most inspired by her grandmom because "she was a very kind and generous soul. She exuded joy no matter what. I aspire to be more like her every day." 

Johnson Controls Chiller Trip

Recently, Shannon Matis, our intern in Houston, participated in a site visit at Memorial High School to learn about Outdoor Air Cooled Chiller systems. Aubrey, the representative from Johnson Controls, guided attendees through a specification sheet and explained various aspects, along with whether or not certain components of the system would coincide with HEI standards. Those in attendance also had the opportunity to meet with Paul, the HVAC maintenance representative for the school district.

Ethan Nicholls: Electrical Intern

Hometown: Overland Park, KS

College: University of Kansas

Major: Architectural Engineering

Facts about Ethan:

If Ethan could have any superpower, it would be telekinesis.

He would like to travel back to the year 1969 so he could witness Woodstock and the moon landing.

Ethan's first job was setting up furniture for a church that doubled as a kindergarten during the weekdays.

Throwback Thursday Happy Hour

Happy hours are common social events at Henderson; every year, the interns get to throw their own happy hour for the Lenexa office. This year’s theme was “Throwback Thursday,” which invited employees to take a walk down memory lane with a drink in hand.

Here’s what the interns on the planning committee had to say about their experience:

“My favorite part about being on the planning committee was getting to know the other planners, and focusing on something that was not work related for a couple hours! It was a really great experience, and I learned that beer goes quickly at Henderson :)” - Hannah Hegarty

“Looking back at the creative events interns have organized in the past showed us that we had a high bar set for us! The "Throwback Thursday” theme we ended up choosing allowed us to use our imaginations. We had to think of different drinks, foods, and decorations to help tie the theme together while also providing a fun and social event for the rest of the office. Overall, I had a lot of fun helping plan the event! (Plus, those pizza snacks and dino-nuggets were great!)“- Adam Mackenzie

"Helping plan a happy hour with this kind of theme allowed me to see another side of Henderson. Looking through the database archive of pictures from past office events for decorations, I saw pictures from as far back as the 1980’s of employees that are still working here! How cool is that?! I also thought it was pretty cool that so many people ended up coming to the event that we ran out of food and drinks about half way through and needed to go get more! I would have to say my favorite part of being a part of the planning committee was watching all the hard work we had done for the event pay off when it went off without a hitch.” - Alex Thornburg

“I really enjoyed the entire Happy Hour organizing process; from the initial brainstorming sessions to the planning to the actual implementation of the idea. I especially enjoyed one particular meeting during which we took the idea and realized it - What are the decorations going to be? What corresponding foods and drinks are we planning to get? - along with all the other little details that made up the big idea! The whole process just unraveled as suggestions kept popping up when we were brainstorming. The entire experience was a very informative one as well. We learned how to make and stick to a budget and split the team work efficiently, all while having fun!” - Hanna Kurian