How Lehigh Hanson’s Internship Program Prepared These Full-Time Employees For Career Success

Lehigh Hanson provides raw materials for the roads we drive on, the houses we live in, the airports we fly from, and more. To produce the quantity and quality of materials demanded of Lehigh Hanson requires a team with a wide range of expertise and backgrounds.

One way Lehigh Hanson sources talent is through their internship programs, which offer college students the opportunity to apply the knowledge they learn in the classroom to hands-on application in the field. To learn more about how the Lehigh Hanson internship sets up students for career success we spoke to three interns turned full-timers—Here’s what they had to say. 

In her time at Lehigh Hanson, Raquel has learned how to be a leader through mentorship, hard-work, and drawing on experiences in university.

While earning her bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, Raquel was accepted into Lehigh Hanson’s three-month internship in Irving, CA. As an intern, she had the opportunity to put the theory from her coursework into practice and was determined to return as a full-time employee. 

The HR team encouraged Raquel to stay in touch, and she ultimately landed a full-time position as a rotational development trainee. The trainee program allowed her to learn from different people at the company, before being given a leadership position and responsibilities. She explained that this program sets you up for either a supervising role or a project engineering position.  

Nearly two years later, Raquel is now a Pit Production Supervisor, and she applies the advice that she received from her boss, “My boss says I should be like the director of a band, making sure that all of the pieces come together at the end of the day, safely and efficiently.”

What Raquel likes the most about her job is the combination of being in the office and doing a lot of engineering work, while simultaneously getting to be out in the field for the other half of the day interacting with the people bringing her projects to life. She shared that she enjoys, “Climbing all kinds of things, getting dirty, and learning from people out in the field.”

The work ethic Andrew developed in college, has helped him adapt and learn quickly in his ever-changing job. 

Andrew, a Missouri University of Science and Technology alumnus with a degree in Mining Engineering, had the opportunity to intern at Lehigh Hanson twice (in both 2018 and 2019) in Georgia, before starting full-time in October of 2020. In his time as an intern, Andrew learned how to be flexible, work with people of different ages and backgrounds, and developed a broader understanding of the industry as a whole.  

He attributes the work ethic he developed in university to his work ethic on the job. His dedication to learning and growing as a Lehigh Hanson is something that fits right in with the company culture. He shared one thing he likes about working at Lehigh Hanson is that, “Everyone wants to know something that they didn’t know when they woke up that morning. “

In addition to the willingness to learn, Andrew also appreciates that the people he works with at Lehigh Hanson are straightforward and honest. He recalled many instances where coworkers and mentors have given him tough love, and encouragement and it has helped him grow as an employee. 

His advice to anyone interested in interning with Lehigh is, “If you take an internship with Lehigh Hanson, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Put yourself out there and ask questions, even when you’re with people in a higher position.”

Anthony has taken the time to truly be a sponge and learn from those around him while at Lehigh Hanson.  

After participating in a summer internship at Lehigh Hanson the summer before his senior year, Anthony graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Mining and Geological Engineering in the fall of 2019. Just a few months later he started his full-time position at Lehigh Hanson in February of 2020. 

In his first year at Lehigh Hanson as a full-time employee, he’s hit the ground running working on Capital Projects. He explained that Capital Projects are construction projects that can range from $25,000 to a million dollars. He shared that in his day to day he comes into the office, conducts research, talks to vendors, and writes proposal drafts. But the work doesn’t stop there, he also goes out into the field to gain more perspective on the different projects he pitches. 

Anthony shared with us that this past year has been a great learning experience for him. “They give me a lot of flexibility to learn and get exposed to the things that I want to get exposed to. I can go out in the field and learn more. The first-hand experience is something you don’t get in school,” said Anthony. He also has learned from the many mentors he has acquired between his internship and first year at Lehigh Hanson. 

When asked to describe a favorite moment from his experience at Lehigh Hanson, he couldn’t pick just one. “I’m so excited and I’m such a sponge that everything has been memorable and exciting. One thing I like about my role is that no two days are the same. I wake up hungry and excited about what the day is going to bring,” he shared with us. 

There are so many paths at Lehigh Hanson, whether you’re interested in pitching new projects, managing a team, or focusing your energy on engineering. If you’d like to start and grow a career at Lehigh Hanson, start by checking out the open roles at Lehigh Hanson on WayUp!