JE Dunn Construction’s Savannah office has announced its Summer 2021 Internship Class.

Five young professionals are joining the Savannah team, assisting with projects ranging from operations to in-the-field construction jobs.

This year’s class includes students Ashlyn Benson from Purdue University, Tahj Collins and Memphis Churchwell from Georgia Southern University, Charles Schaefer from Virginia Polytechnic and State University and Amaya Williams from Spelman College.

JE Dunn will host the intern class for up to ten weeks, each tailored to the students’ respective summer vacation schedules.  During the internship period, each student is paired with a department and receives specific project assignments, tasks and responsibilities.

JE Dunn’s internship program is just one of its initiatives in its ongoing commitment to fostering the next generation of construction industry engineers and professionals. The program was developed to give emerging young professionals real-world, on-the-job work experiences that can be applied post-graduation.

Students who’ve participated in the program have gone on to hold professional positions across the industry, including full-time opportunities with JE Dunn.

Interns come from across the country, through various channels and avenues, reinforcing the diversity of thought and experiences JE Dunn seeks to create within each of its program areas.

Intern and Spelman College rising senior Amaya Williams, for example, was matched with JE Dunn through the City of Savannah's LIFT UP Savannah program, formerly known as the Summer 500 Youth Employment Program. LIFT UP Savannah is an acronym for Local Internships for Teens Unlock Possibilities of Savannah.

LIFT UP Savannah was launched four years ago by the previous city administration and partners with local schools and businesses, like JE Dunn, to place Savannah teens ages 16 and older into paid internships with area businesses during the summer. JE Dunn has been an active participant since the program’s inception.

“As JE Dunn continues to expand throughout Savannah and Charleston, we are humbled to have these talented individuals be a part of our team for the summer. We sincerely hope that these interns will gain the knowledge they are seeking to assist with their future decisions,” said JE Dunn Vice President and Division Manager Ryan E. Price.

To learn more about the 2021 internship class, view their full bios below.

Summer 2021 Interns:

• Ashlyn Benson will enter her senior year at Purdue University in the fall of 2021 to complete her degree in Construction Engineering and Management with a minor in Management. The Springdale, Arkansas native is a member of Beta Tau Honors Fraternity and a member of the Society of Women Engineers. She frequently volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and the ACE Food Pantry. Her hobbies include kayaking and volleyball. With JE Dunn she will aid the project team with onsite management of the Robert Smalls International Academy.

• Tahj Collins is a rising senior at Georgia Southern University where he is majoring in Construction Management. The Georgia native will participate in the JE Dunn Summer Internship program as a project engineer, primarily working on the Chatham County Courthouse project. His responsibilities will include coordinating with superintendents, project managers and other project team members to support day-to-day internal processes, from managing scheduling, budgets and subcontractors to implementing safety plans and preparing documents and progress reports.

• Memphis Churchwell is a native of Saint Simons Island, Georgia and a student at Georgia Southern University, where she’s studying construction management. Churchwell is a member of Kappa Delta Sorority and enjoys cooking, reading and music in her free time. As an intern, she’ll spend the summer working with project managers and other site managers on the construction project Atlantic on Romney.

• Charles Schaefer is a Valley Forge, Pennsylvania native currently attending Virginia Tech as a rising senior, majoring in Construction Engineering and Management. With the JE Dunn team, Schaefer is assisting in the start-up process of the Chatham Apartment Building. His responsibilities include sending out several submittals and setting up several different logs.

• Amaya Williams is a rising senior at Spelman College and will participate as Business Operations intern. Williams will primarily shadow the project coordinator and business development team and will be responsible for learning the project management hierarchy and making sure trade partners are fulfilling their contractual obligations. Through her exposure with the business development team, she will learn the  basics of marketing and how to produce content that both intrigues and produces clients.