More Than a Summer Job: Inside the ESS Internship

The Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS) internship program isn’t your typical summer internship. Sure, our interns spend time on jobsites, in the office, and learning the technical side of the business — but they also build relationships, challenge themselves, and experience what it’s really like to be part of the ESS team.

This summer, 63 interns from high schools, trade schools, and colleges across the country joined us to get a firsthand look at the construction industry. By the time this summer came to a close, they had gained far more than a line on their resumes.

Welcome to ESS

In June, we welcomed students from a range of backgrounds, trade schools, colleges, and even high schools to our internship kickoff event. They heard from company leaders, made early connections, and got the background they needed for a successful summer on the job.

From there, each intern was paired with a mentor to help guide their experience. One intern shared,

“My mentor, Jake Byrd, was probably the best mentor I could’ve had for this internship. He was very supportive, always approachable and willing to help 24/7, assigned me with challenging tasks, and was helpful every step of the way.”

Boots on the ground

This summer, interns worked alongside experienced employee-owners across heavy highway operations, project engineering, safety, construction technology, and more. They weren’t just observing. They were contributing.

Health & Safety intern Samuel Herbert took that a step further, developing a driver qualification dashboard that will continue to be used by his team long after he returns to school. His mentor said:

“He came in one day and said, ‘Check out this dashboard I built with AI.’ It wasn’t something we had asked him to do. He saw an opportunity to improve the process and ran with it. That dashboard is going to be a game changer for our department moving forward.”

It’s a great example of the fresh ideas and real impact interns bring to ESS.

Learning the whole business

This year, interns also took part in the ESS Experiences Challenge, encouraging them to step outside their assigned departments and learn more about the people, projects, and teams that make up ESS.

Intern Sierra Greene took that opportunity a step further by connecting directly with Co-CEO Robert Gillis. They discussed navigating pressure in leadership, how high-level decisions are made, and what defines a future leader.

Taking time to connect

Halfway through the internship, we brought the interns together for a night at the ballpark. Whether they attended a Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, Northwest Arkansas Naturals, or Springfield Cardinals game, the goal was to give them an opportunity to relax, build their network, and swap stories from the field.

Wrapping Up the Summer

Every great summer has to come to an end. We closed out the program with our annual Internship Farewell Event, where interns reflected on everything they had accomplished over the past few months. They shared stories from their projects, celebrated milestones with their mentors and peers, and had the opportunity to present what they learned to ESS leadership.

While the internship may only last one summer, the experience is designed to leave a lasting impact. Whether our interns return to ESS after graduation or carry these lessons into the next stage of their careers, they leave with real-world experience, meaningful relationships, and a better understanding of what it means to build something that lasts.