Hastings College junior business administration major Tyler Call of Greeley, Colorado channeled his admiration for architecture into an internship at Russell Remodeling over the summer.
His journey as a drafting intern really started when he was in middle school when he modeled homes out of foam and wood. He soon realized there was more to architecture than just building.
“While I was taking STEM classes in middle school, I really enjoyed designing and crafting models of houses from the craft supplies. Seeing the end result of my models made my passion for architecture grow stronger,” Call said.
He found the internship opportunity from a flier and decided to apply.
“After I saw the flier, I went to Carissa Urchmacher in Career Services, and she helped build my resume, which made me feel more secure about the interview. She made sure I was prepared in every way physically and mentally,” Call said.
Call’s typical internship workday consisted of drafting renovations in a software program. He also collaborated with Hastings College alumna Kelsey Zadina ‘22. Call said working with Zadina helped him tremendously in learning more about the drafting process when it comes to projects and designing.
“Memorizing every dimension and average size can be challenging, but Kelsey has been so helpful and has gifted me a guidebook of all the numbers needed for the job, which makes it easier to study,” he said.
Call was a part of a large project that deals with the interior remodeling of a sorority house at a university in Lincoln, Nebraska. The project uses the original 1950 plans, and Call is helping draft the current plans based on the historical layout.
Though challenges arise, Call said he focused on the reward of seeing the finished products and happy customers.
“I love being able to see my hard work come out in the finished product. We are building dream homes for our customers, so it’s gratifying to see people pleased with our work,” Call said.
Through his internship, Call said he applied his business administration knowledge gained from his Hastings College classes. He credits his business law classes with Dr. Bruce Batterson in helping him understand the business aspects of commercial companies.
“His classes have helped me because I now know how companies set up their product specifications and how to find all the necessary information.” he said.
Call said he was grateful for the internship opportunity, which has opened the door to his architectural career. After graduation, he plans to move to Montana, work at an architecture firm so he can continue designing dream homes for clients.
