Summary
This blog highlights the 2026 HDJ intern experience through the perspectives of six interns in architecture and engineering. From hands-on project work and site visits to learning industry tools, collaborating across disciplines, and building professional skills, the interns share how their summer experiences prepared them for future careers and continued learning.
Meet the 2026 Interns
- Johanna Weigle (Senior at University of Michgan)
My name is Johanna Weigle. During the summer of 2026, I got the opportunity to be an architectural intern at HDJ. Throughout my internship, I worked with the architectural team to design, draw, and document multiple different projects ranging from small one-story renovations to multi-level housing complexes.
- Sean Agents (Senior at Michigan State University)
- Hi, my name is Sean Agents and I had the opportunity to be a Mechanical Engineering Intern at HDJ over this past summer! Coming into the internship, I was excited to gain real-world experience and see what working in the engineering field was actually like.
- Ayden Haskins (Senior at City High School)
Hello, I’m Ayden Haskins. This summer I was an electrical engineering intern here at HDJ. As a junior in high school and in my third summer with the company, this opportunity has given me a unique perspective on the engineering profession and allowed me to continue building upon the skills and experiences I have gained over the past years.
- Megan Billings (Senior at Arizona State University)
Hi, my name is Megan Billings. I truly had such an amazing experience working for HDJ this summer as an Architectural Intern. I had opportunities to work on many different projects from affordable housing renovations to senior living new builds. Each of them helped me gain insight into how a project works and how construction sets are made.
- Isaiah Currie (Junior at Cedarville University)
Hi, my name is Isaiah Currie and I worked this year as an Electrical Engineering intern. I had a very insightful overall internship experience. I learned a lot about the application of electrical engineering in the architectural and engineering field. The internship provided real-world, hands-on experience to become familiar with the tools that are essential to understand in the field.
- Jason Spiegel (Senior at University of Michigan Dearborn)
Hello, my name is Jason Spiegel. As a Mechanical Engineering Intern at HDJ, I have gained valuable technical and professional experience throughout the summer.
Learning Moments
- Johanna
To facilitate project development, I got to work with engineers, interior designers, specialists, contractors, and even clients. On top of working on projects, I was able to experience and learn how a firm operates and where I could see myself in the workforce. One key takeaway from my internship is how crucial collaboration is. To work together as a firm, you need to actively collaborate across multiple disciplines like architecture, engineering, interiors, etc. To bring a project to fruition you also need to collaborate with the owners, contractors, and the architectural team. Without intentional collaboration and effort, a project would fall apart.
- Sean
- This experience gave me the opportunity to take what I have learned in school and see how those concepts are applied in a professional environment. One of the biggest things I took away from my internship was how important it is to be willing to learn and ask questions. There were many things that I had never worked with before, but everyone I worked with was extremely helpful and willing to take the time to explain things to me. I also learned that a big part of being a good engineer is being able to figure things out, communicate with others, and learn from the people around you.
- Ayden
I had the privilege of working with an experienced and gracious engineering team who were willing to balance their work with my learning. In my job training, I used Revit, Bluebeam, M365 and got to go on job sites multiple times. One of the most valuable aspects of my internship was being able to contribute my ideas to the design process. Working alongside professional engineers helped me better understand the importance of collaboration, communication, and attention to detail. I garnered practical knowledge of electrical design while strengthening workplace abilities such as collaboration, communication, professionalism, and adaptability. In addition, another practical application of my internship is how the experience has bridged the gap between the STEM subjects I study in school and the real-world engineering required for the design of electrical layouts within buildings.
- Megan
I never really thought about how much goes into a construction document set so I am very grateful to have been able to work on so many different projects. I even was able to go on a site visit and do a punch walk of Sprouts that just opened. It was really exciting to see everything that goes into preparing a building so it is ready to open. I also had the opportunity to travel to Michigan to meet the rest of the team for the Summer Extravaganza – an experience I will never forget. Every single person at HDJ was so welcoming and kind, helping me feel like I belonged at the company. I will never forget my amazing experience working at HDJ!
- Isaiah
Additionally, I learned concepts from my peers that I can apply to situations outside of work. My colleagues were very easy and fun to work with, making the internship both enjoyable and educational. There was a great atmosphere in the office and a perfect mix between easy-going and hard-working.
- Jason
I learned how to create MFP systems while specifying equipment for them, prepare for and participate effectively in meetings, and understand the importance of putting in extra effort to achieve the best results. Although I work remotely from the east side of Michigan, I have developed strong teamwork and communication skills while collaborating in a virtual environment. One of the most important lessons I learned is the value of building trust with team members and never hesitating to ask questions when guidance is needed. These skills will benefit me not only in my future engineering career but also during my senior year as I will pursue degrees in mechanical engineering and bioengineering.
Key Takeaways
- Johanna
As I go into my last year of undergraduate and continue to my graduate degree, I will take all the skills and knowledge from my internship to the classroom. I am grateful to my mentors who have eagerly answered all my questions whether they were big or small. This will allow me to have a deeper understanding of architecture in my studies. After learning how a firm functions, I will now be able to manage workload and collaboration more effectively.Throughout summer 2026, I worked on projects that left me knowing that I was making a positive impact on the world. My architectural internship with HDJ contributed immensely to my understanding of the design process and to my progress of becoming a licensed architect.
- Sean
Another part of my experience that stood out to me was the people I worked with. Everyone was super nice, welcoming, and helpful from the beginning. It honestly did not feel like I was just working with coworkers. It felt more like I was part of a family. Having such a supportive group around me made it much easier to learn, become comfortable in the workplace, and enjoy coming to work every day. Overall, this internship gave me a much better understanding of what it is like to work as an engineer and helped me grow both professionally and personally. I gained hands-on experience, improved my communication and problem-solving skills, and became more confident in my ability to work in a professional engineering environment.
I also believe this experience will help me succeed in the classroom. Being able to see how engineering concepts are used in the real world gives the material I learn in school more meaning. I can now connect what I learn in my classes to actual engineering problems and understand why those skills are important. This internship has made me excited to continue learning and developing my engineering skills as I move forward in my career. Thanks HDJ for a great summer!
- Ayden
This internship was a wonderful opportunity, not only for learning Revit and the basis of design but also general design and work skills that can be used throughout my career. A big takeaway has been time management. Balancing deadlines for schooling and a job has taught me that the two environments operate very differently. In school, putting off an assignment often affects only my own progress. In the workplace, however, especially in design where our tasks are built upon one another, procrastination can delay an entire project and impact others on the team. This experience has helped me develop stronger time management skills and has positively affected my attitude towards getting things done in both mypersonal, work, and scholarly life.
Looking back on my third summer with HDJ, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and participate in an amazing team and gain more hands-on experience in the engineering profession.
- Megan
My key takeaways from my internship were the importance of communication, and that there is always an opportunity to learn more. Unfortunately not every project runs smoothly and so it is important to communicate issues early on. Waiting till the last minute to fix an issue can cause projects to be pushed back, or more money to be spent. It is best to solve the problems as soon as possible so that everyone can move forward. I also learned that learning never ends. There is always new technology, new standards, or new things you may have never encountered before. It is important to ask questions and be open to new ideas. Even when you think you know a lot you don’t know everything so there is always an opportunity to grow and learn.
My internship experience can be applied in the classroom in many different ways. Going back to communication, it is important to communicate problems as they arise. When working in a group, and especially when your work impacts another person, it is important to discuss things as soon as they come up. If I can’t make the time that day to get a drawing done, or there is a modeling issue or any other issue it is best to communicate that. Communication helps the project run smoothly. Keeping an open mind to new programs and new ideas is also important in school. Architecture will always be evolving and if you aren’t willing to learn what is needed – especially when you can do it while you are already in school – then you will likely fall behind. Asking a question even if it feels silly will always be of benefit and I will be carrying on this mentality into my education.
- Isaiah
My biggest takeaway from the internship was that it taught me how to think independently in the field by allowing me the ability to question current processes. The internship helped me critically think by surrounding me with insightful mentors in my field, who critiqued me in a positive way. My colleagues helped me learn the basic processes and then allowed me the freedom to investigate the more complex processes. This allowed me to grow on my own by learning and questioning processes rather than being told exactly what to do.
I can apply this in the classroom by approaching every situation with a positive, innovative attitude. I learned that the best way to do this was to question processes that could use improvement and bounce ideas off of mentors with more experience than me.
- Jason
- The most valuable experience I gained during my internship was participating in two site visits, where I had the opportunity to see how the systems we design are applied in real-world settings. The first visit was to Oakland, where we mapped out the existing ductwork layout to support future renovation plans. It was interesting to see how important it is to accurately document existing conditions before any design work can begin. The second visit was to the Magnus Phase III project. During the tour, I was able to walk through four different buildings, each at a different stage and type of construction. Seeing the progression from the early phases of construction to the more completed stages helped me better understand the overall building process and how different systems are installed and coordinated throughout a project.
