A group of Industrial Electricians in bright yellow shirts, safety vests, and blue hard hats stand together outdoors on a platform with a scenic green landscape and clear blue sky in the background.

Building the Future: Celebrating Our 2025 Interns

The future of our industry is built by the people we train today. This summer, we had the privilege of working alongside a talented group of interns across site coordination, engineering, estimating, HR and more. These interns rolled up their sleeves, took ownership, and experienced firsthand what it means to be part of the KE team walking away with all different kinds of lessons, memories, and knowledge to guide them in their future careers.

In mid-August, we wrapped up the program with an intern capstone and recap event in Mustateen, Iowa. There, our interns toured an active jobsite before heading back to Eagan and Goodhue to share their summer takeaways with leadership individuals. The day also included short presentations with leaders from Automation, Power Services, Safety, Estimating, Project Management, and Preconstruction, giving them all a chance to see just how many different paths exist within KE.

Meet Our Summer Interns

Claire Lawrance, HR Intern: University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Luke Meger, Engineering Intern: North Dakota State University
Charlie Sherburne, Site Coordinator Intern: Minnesota State University - Mankato
Kyle Gordon, Engineering Intern: University of Minnesota
Guido Wanschelbaum, Site Coordinator Intern: South Dakota School of Mines
Remy Rassbach, Site Coordinator Intern: Minnesota State University - Mankato
John Mesojedec, Site Coordinator Intern: University of Wisconsin - Stout
Kale Robinson, Site Coordinator Intern: South Dakota State University
Brandon Karels, Site Coordinator Intern: Minnesota State University - Mankato
Sam DeLain, Project Manager Intern: University of Wisconsin - Eau-Claire
Sidney Majerus, Engineering Intern: North Dakota State University
Dylan Bowe, Site Coordinator Intern: University of Wisconsin - Stout
Brady Lumsden, IT Intern: South Dakota School of Mines
Dylan Schutz, Site Coordinator Intern: Minnesota State University - Mankato
David Oeschsle, Electrical Intern: University of Wisconsin - Stout

A group of construction workers in blue helmets and yellow safety vests gather around equipment on a metal platform at an industrial site, participating in a meeting or briefing.

Stepping Up in the Field

Several of our site coordinator interns were tasked with supporting large-scale solar projects across the Midwest. For some, that meant juggling multiple sites and helping train new team members. As Charlie Sherburne explained, being sent to Colorado to both support crews and guide a new site coordinator “was a challenge for me and an opportunity to step up as a site coordinator as well as an overall leader”.

Those leadership moments were made possible by the support of our seasoned team members. Sherburne credits his project manager and foreman for pulling him into scheduling and manpower discussions, saying they pushed him “to take [his] work to another level and take the next step toward being a leader in the field”.

Learning Through Collaboration

In Illinois, Dylan Schutz joined the team on a first-of-its-kind project. Working alongside his crew, he saw how problem-solving is rarely a solo task. “Trying to figure out the best way to build it… was a lot of bouncing ideas off each other,” he shared. Dylan also valued the connections he made along the way, adding, “Everyone was very welcoming to me and helped me out when I needed it.”

Gaining Confidence Beyond the Jobsite

Not all growth happened with boots on the ground. Claire Lawrence, an HR intern with our Energy division, led a company-wide I-9 audit and supported new employee onboarding. Taking on that responsibility gave her a new level of confidence: “Taking full ownership of my work gave me the confidence to take initiative and trust my judgment, even when something felt outside my comfort zone”.

The chance to visit project sites also stood out to Claire, who noted how seeing crews in action “helped connect the dots between what we do in HR and the day-to-day work happening across the company”. That perspective is exactly what our internship program is designed to do with the overarching go to build a deeper appreciation of how every role at KE contributes to building the future of energy.

Preparing Tomorrow’s Leaders

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this summer was how much responsibility our interns embraced. Brandon Karels reflected on being asked to lead a crew: “I was able to experience being foreman for a week… it means a lot to be trusted with so much responsibility”. Others echoed similar lessons, from building confidence in inspections to strengthening communication with crews.

Looking Forward

This year, we were proud to welcome back three “boomerang” interns who returned for another summer with KE. Many others from this group will continue working with us during the school year or transition into full-time roles after graduation.

Their growth this summer shows why we invest in building the next generation of skilled trades professionals. They leave with new skills, stronger relationships, and the confidence to lead — and we couldn’t be prouder to play a role in shaping their careers.

The KE internship program is designed to give students real-world experience while helping shape the future of our industry. Explore our current opportunities and see how you can start building your future with us.