For Sophia Nguyen, a senior at Brookwood HS and a student in the Architectural Drawing and Design Program at Maxwell HS of Technology, a hands-on work opportunity helped her give back to her home school. As an intern with Lindsay Pope Brayfield & Assocs., Inc. (LPB), Sophia worked on a design project for an expansion project at Brookwood and she’s now working on a Lanier HS design project. (LPB has designed a host of familiar buildings in the community, including schools, libraries, and fire stations.)
Thanks to CTE, Sophia understood the basics of her intended career field before she entered the workplace. She says, “In the classroom, hand-drawn sketches and renderings, the basics of computer-aided design programs like AutoCAD and Revit, and understanding drawings and plans are taught,” and those are skills she uses each day in her internship.
Teacher Dee Tillman says the program at Maxwell helps prepare students for postsecondary study and internships as young people look forward to careers in construction management, architecture, engineering (structural, mechanical, civil, electrical), and interior design. Work-based learning (WBL) opportunities allow students to build on an educational foundation forged in the classroom and determine next steps in career exploration. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to learn if they really have the motivation and passion to pursue the chosen career,” says Barbara Hoag, who coordinates Maxwell’s WBL program.
Becky Pope, an LPB principal, agrees that internships give students a more robust and realistic picture of their intended profession. “This taste of the real world in a business setting lets students see the glamorous parts but also the mundane boring parts associated with any job,” she says. Interns are exposed to architecture and related careers as well as the “soft skills” required for career success. “They learn to be on time, dress appropriately, act responsibly, nurture business friendships, complete tasks assigned, as well as learning the technical skills to do the jobs they are assigned to,” Ms. Pope says. “We love watching these students blossom and become responsible young adults.”
Sophia says the real-life experiences in her internship with LPB are bringing her one step closer to her goal of a career in architecture.