Intern Success is Our Success or, How You Grow at Our Firm
We figured we would take a look at our intern success stories. We were surprised by just how many of our great team members started at the firm as interns only to stay on with BFW/Marcum and become valuable players that we rely on every single day. It makes sense—what better way to cultivate in a person a sense of your firm’s culture (pride in the community, a hardened work ethic, and a fearless commitment to quality) than to bring them into the fold fresh out of college? We took a tally of the interns that liked us enough to stay aboard and asked them about themselves.
Heath Pederson, PE
Structural Staff Engineer
What He Brings to the Table:
“As a young engineer in the field, I have a variety of software skills, including using finite element analysis programs, through both experience and graduate research. I thrive in positions of leadership and enjoy working together as part of a team exploring new ideas, thoughts, and concepts. I’m passionate about health, fitness, and nutrition and I believe there’s no better time than right now to start taking care of your mental and physical wellness.”
How He Got Here:
“I obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2017 from South Dakota State University (SDSU). I then obtained a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering with a Structural emphasis in the summer of 2019, also from SDSU. During my education, I spent 4 summers interning with BFW/Marcum in the structural department in the Paducah office. The size of the company, the location (Champaign, IL), and the familiarity with the company were all contributing factors that ultimately led me back to BFW as a full-time employee.”
A Quote He Lives by:
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change” – Charles Darwin
Bryan Atkins, PE
Project Manager/Mechanical Engineer
What He Brings to the Table:
“I bring a mechanical engineering degree. I bring leadership and communication skills. I also bring a smile and eye contact which is unusual for engineers.”
How He Got Here:
“I went to the University of Kentucky at Paducah. I got my Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. I started as an intern in February of my Senior year of College. I guess they liked me enough to offer me a full-time position in May, and that was twelve years ago. Time flies.”
A Quote He Lives by:
“Listen a lot and talk less. You can’t learn anything when you’re talking” – Bing Crosby
Elijah Arterburn, EIT
Mechanical Engineer
What He Brings to the Table:
“I have just graduated from the University of Kentucky with a mechanical engineering degree. I bring some experience in KDE facility surveys from my two summer internships at BFW/Marcum. I bring a love for the outdoors and a lot of energy!”
How He Got Here:
“I graduated in May 2020 from the University of Kentucky College of Engineering with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. I had the privilege of working with BFW/Marcum through two years of summer internships. I really enjoyed my internships at the firm and I would like to continue living in west Kentucky which made accepting a job offer from BFW/Marcum a no-brainer.”
A Quote He Lives by:
“Little progress can be made by merely attempting to repress what is evil; our great hope lies in developing what is good.” – Calvin Coolidge
Ryan Teitloff
Civil Designer
What He Brings to the Table:
“I have a degree in Civil Engineering Technology from Murray State University. Along with some construction experience while in college, growing up on a farm has also given me a hard work ethic and problem-solving skills. I love the career field I’m in, and that allows me to bring an eager and excited mindset to the table. I strive to produce a product that I can take pride in and represents a high standard of the company.”
How He Got Here:
“I interned with BFW the summer of my senior year. Once I graduated from Murray State University in December, I interviewed to come back and become full time. They agreed to keep me so here I am 4 years later.”
A Quote He Lives by:
“Life’s a dance you learn as you go.” – John Michael Montgomery
Josh Alstat, PE
Structural Project Engineer II
What He Brings to the Table:
“I have a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and have over four years of experience in structural engineering project design and management. I am an adrenaline junkie that has the unique skill of peer pressuring—I mean, convincing—other engineering colleagues into jumping off cliffs as a team-building exercise.”
How He Got Here:
“During my Senior year at SIUC, I was hired on BFW under a co-op internship program that allowed me to work part-time while going to school. After graduation, I was offered a full-time position and have been with the company ever since.”
A Quote He Lives by:
“Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy – both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.” – Michael Scott
Phillip Holthaus, PE, SE
Structural Engineer
What He Brings to the Table:
“As a manager, I feel that I bring a level head to the company and deal with the challenges that arise calmly with the design and construction teams. The relationships that I built with our clients feel like friendships and this helps develop trust in our services and longevity in our relationships. We don’t shy away from unique team building activities…like an escape room or two.”
How He Got Here:
“I went to Southern Illinois University Carbondale. During our senior design project, an existing BFW/Marcum structural engineer (Chris Whiting) was on the advisory board and was impressed with my portion of our presentation. Little did I know that I was being interviewed when conducting a question and answer on our drawings before the presentation. He offered me a chance to work part-time while I worked on my masters and I took him up on it.”
A Quote He Lives by:
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” – Helen Keller
Justin Holt, PE
Staff Structural Engineer
What He Brings to the Table:
“In addition to studying civil engineering at the University of Kentucky and working as an engineering intern for three summers, I also minored in geography in college and worked at my grandfather’s land surveying company throughout high school. So I bring a geospatial perspective to the structural team that is fairly unique. I also bring with me an extensive knowledge of sports, as I am a huge fan of Cardinals baseball, Titans football, and UK sports.”
How He Got Here:
“I graduated from the University of Kentucky with a BSCE in 2018 and MSCE in 2019. During this time, I worked as an intern at BFW/Marcum in the summers after my freshman and sophomore years. Then, after spending summers studying abroad in Ecuador and working as a structural engineering intern in Nashville, I returned home to western Kentucky to work here full-time as a structural engineer.”
A Quote He Lives by:
“It is not your business to succeed, but to do right; when you have done so, the rest lies with God.” – C.S. Lewis
