Internship Spotlight | Andrew Kosenko
Andrew is from Virginia Tech’s Myers-Lawson School of Construction. He was a welcome addition to our field team last Summer and we are excited to have him back. Andrew worked primarily on SOCA and will be returning to Virginia Tech to continue his degree in Building Construction.
Andrew’s enthusiasm and eager energy is refreshing. He listens intently to whatever wisdom and or knowledge I wish to expound upon him, whether it’s construction related or not. I think this is because he is determined to learn from my mistakes and experience, not his own. This is a rare quality in young men these days. He is safety conscious and will be an excellent superintendent one day. – Superintendent, Kenny Kirk
Intern Question and Answers
What responsibilities were you given during your internship?
At SOCA I’ve been coordinating between different subcontractors, daily reports on Procore, calling up for changes to drawings and planning out layouts. I also just help my superintendent, Kenny, out with anything he needs that day.
What have you found to be most interesting about the job site you’ve worked on?
I’ve been working at SOCA and have never worked with steel in this capacity before. At Riverside, where I was last summer, was more timber framed. So, it’s been pretty interesting to see how our subcontractor and steel erector can get everything squared and set. It’s really been an interesting process.
How has being a Virginia Tech student prepared you for this internship?
I did 2 years of community college first. I worked in high-end residential and then a granite/renovation company in the DC area. So, I came into the program not really knowing a lot of the terminology and was able to learn a lot. I also learned better communication since most of our projects were group activities. I had to learn how to use the terms in context of a project and also work with others to complete something which is a big part of construction.
What skills have you learned while working for Martin Horn that will help you in the future?
It’s helped a lot in terms of learning how to communicate on a project. I started construction swinging a hammer and I’ve learned a lot of the ways to keep a jobsite moving is actually coordination and communication. After school, I would like to work for Martin Horn because I like this level of commercial construction. It feels very professional and like both parties have a mutual goal which I really like.
Andrew’s Testimonial:
Martin Horn is a medium-sized company, but still feels close-knit. I feel comfortable reaching out to anyone for help. I’m also 22 and they let me learn on the job without hovering over me but are still there when you need guidance. It’s a good work environment because you get to test your skills, but you’re not afraid to fail because everyone is just a phone call or a drive away.