SGH Celebrates National Intern Day

To honor this year’s National Intern Day, SGH interns and co-ops from across the country came together in the firm’s Waltham, MA, and Oakland, CA, offices to celebrate through collaboration, community service, networking, and real-world engineering challenges.

“Learning has been part of SGH’s culture since day one,” said SGH Senior Talent Development Specialist Melissa Symanski, who helped plan and organize the events. “With many of our leaders having started as interns or co-ops, Intern Day is a chance to celebrate the next generation of talent, the connections they’re building across the firm, and the impact they’re already having at SGH.”

The agenda featured many different learning opportunities:

The day began with a welcome breakfast and networking on both coasts.
Interns then participated in the Mike Tecci Legacy Moment, reflecting on the lasting impact and contributions of former SGH Associate Principal Mike Tecci, who tragically passed away last year.
Interns then took part in a volunteer activity, packing bags for HopeWell, a nonprofit organization that supports children and families.
West Coast interns then kicked off an intern challenge poster session while East Coast interns broke into small groups to meet SGH intern alumni, hear about their experiences, and ask questions.
After lunch, East Coast interns toured SGH’s Applied Science & Research Center while West Coast interns participated in a round of career path discussions.
Later in the afternoon, East Coast interns presented intern challenge posters while West Coast interns met with SGH intern alumni.
The West Coast wrapped up its day with networking bingo and a happy hour, as the East Coast concluded with closing remarks.
To end the celebration, East Coast interns enjoyed a food truck patio party with games and activities while West Coast interns headed to a San Francisco Giants baseball game.

SGH Intern Challenge Poster Sessions

Before Intern Day, nearly sixty interns across SGH’s East and West Coast offices worked in teams to solve real-world engineering challenges, developing technical solutions and presenting their findings through poster presentations. On Intern Day, they shared their work with team members from across the firm, answering questions about their approaches and communicating complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

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Intern Alumni Sessions

Former SGH interns, who are now full-time SGH employees, met with current interns in rotating small-group discussions, sharing insights on their career paths, professional development, licensure, graduate school, and early career decision-making. The conversations provided valuable perspectives on growth opportunities both within and beyond SGH.

“Future Planning” Sessions (West Coast) & Lab Sessions (East Coast)

West Coast interns participated in a series of Future Planning sessions focused on professional development, with discussions covering licensure, consulting, and networking. Led by SGH experts, these sessions provided insight into career growth and opportunities within the industry.

On the East Coast, interns visited four lab stations in SGH’s Applied Science & Research Center, where they gained hands-on exposure to testing and analysis techniques and learned more about the firm’s research and laboratory capabilities.

Mike Tecci Legacy Moment

One of the most meaningful moments of Intern Day was the Mike Tecci Legacy Moment, honoring a former SGH Associate Principal whose impact on the intern program continues to be felt today. Colleagues shared stories about Mike’s dedication to mentoring interns and inspiring future professionals in the AEC industry, highlighting how his passion, leadership, and commitment helped shape the program into what it is today.

Thank You, Interns!

SGH’s first coast-to-coast, in-person National Intern Day brought students together to connect, collaborate, and learn, highlighting the talent and enthusiasm of the next generation of professionals.