Many students spend their senior year looking for a balance between preparing for college and enjoying their final year at home, senior Sophia Allgood has chosen to focus on exploring her future by taking part in an internship before she starts her spring semester. Internships are a great way for students to broaden their views when it comes to possible careers in the future or just cultivating skills that can help them succeed later on.

Allgood decided that an internship would be a proactive way for her to gain experience while also getting a feel for what the working world is like. When she signed up for InternOmaha, a program focused on connecting high school seniors to internships with some of the city’s best employers, she was not expecting to work with Kiewit’s Environmental Department. With most of their interns already in college, Allgood hadn’t considered being placed there. Seeing as how she is their first high school intern, her work ethic and willingness to learn and succeed must have stood out.

“I was really surprised when I got picked because I thought I might have been too young for what Kiewit was looking for,” Allgood said. “I’ve always had an interest in environmental policies and this program has really helped me learn so much more about what goes into these types of jobs and what I could expect if I choose to go into this field in the future.”

The website explains that the program gives interns the opportunity to partake in regulatory research, field exercises projects, developing environmental articles, preparing and presenting training, and conducting vendor reviews. The website goes on to state that “we only hire the most driven people, and we offer them diverse career opportunities, strong leadership, and mentorship, rewarding, collaborative work and responsibility.”

Taking on a new responsibility while still completing her senior year isn’t without its challenges, however, Allgood’s parents have been able to provide support and encouragement because they understand how beneficial participating in this internship can be.

“She’s been exposed to some truly outstanding role models through this internship; professional people who appreciate her input, who challenge her learning and who encourage her success,” Sophia’s mother Jennifer Allgood said. “It’s been an overall great experience for Sophie; both a confidence and a skill builder.”

The internship began on August 24 and has required Allgood to complete 10 to 15 hours of work a week. Her current project consists of putting together a training presentation that will be presented to the environmental department in January.

“Sophie has been a fresh addition to the Kiewit Corporate Environmental Department,” Environmental Manager, Lauren Wironen said. “I love the energy and burst of positivity she brings with her to each meeting and her take-on-the-world attitude.” 

Allgood has been able to participate in interviews, training sessions, meetings, research, and evaluations during her time with the company. These valuable experiences will benefit her greatly in the future because she will have firsthand knowledge of what is expected in a career. Most importantly, Allgood has been able to see growth within her personal and academic life by putting the skills she’s learning and practicing in this internship to use.

“She’s learned about working with adults in a professional setting, time management, and collaboration while gaining knowledge in the field of environmental engineering and environmental policy,” Ms. Allgood said. “All of these experiences will benefit Sophie as she moves through her professional career.”

Many students at Allgood’s age wouldn’t think twice about how rewarding an opportunity like this can be. The exposure she has received from this internship can only be described as positive and is only giving her a head start in preparing for her future.