A word from our Careers Coordinator

Meet Deandra, our Careers Coordinator and Undergraduate Advisor!

We appreciate the support of the Advancement Board and alumni in placing LAEP students in internships. Many alumni reached out to share internship and full-time postings throughout the year. With their help this past year, students have found internships and full-time positions in six U.S. states, India, and Sweden. Students are working across various disciplines, from multidisciplinary firms and public agencies to a Swedish organic farm and rooftop farming in Chicago.

Our Advancement Board members reviewed student portfolios during Dave Evans’ Professional Communication and Leadership course in February. This valuable experience gave students the advantage of a professional perspective, which was greatly appreciated by the students participating. Students across the department also had the opportunity to prepare to search for jobs and connect with professionals during the Virtual Career Fair held that same month.

Four students were awarded a travel stipend through CREATE to help bring their out-of-state internships within reach. The CREATE fund also supported a portfolio workshop and reviews with graphic designers Mike Daines and Orlando Porras from Afton Klein Group and a resume workshop by Nathan Morrone of Resume Symphony.

by the numbers:

2021 Graduates (22 BLA+3 MLA)

• 10 Full-time positions

• 6 Internships

• 5 Attending grad school

• 1 Other employment

2022 B+MLA

• 2 Internships

2022 BLA Class (Juniors)

• 13 Internships (50%)

2023 BLA Class (Sophomores)

• 1 Internship

Internship Highlights

Haydon Draper, North Logan City

I am currently working with North Logan City as the city planning intern. I only started a few weeks ago so my experience is still fairly limited. However, in the short time I’ve been here I’ve already learned a lot.

I had the opportunity to produce some graphics for the North Logan BMX Park with the goal to promote future park upgrades. I am also starting to assist in a new signage project for all North Logan parks and trails which I’m really excited about!

In starting my internship I have been able to experience projects that actually have meaning to real people. It’s been eye opening to see my projects go from budgetless academic exercises to real life community installations.

Dylan McMurdie, Design West

This summer I have been working at Design West in Logan as a Landscape Designer. Here I’ve had the opportunity to work on real projects in every phase from concepts and rendering, to details and construction documents. I’ve been able to work on apartment complexes, schools, libraries, parks, and much more! It feels great to put your name on something that people will use one day. Working in the field has been an invaluable experience for my education and my future, and I am grateful to be learning from those around me who have so much to offer.

Saxon Peterson, Project Engineering Consultants

My internship at Project Engineering Consultants has been great. What has surprised me the most is how self driven the company structure is. I brought in a small job and got to do the work for it.

I have been doing a bit of environmental analysis and planning too. For environmental I mostly do wetland delineation/studies and WOUS permit applications. For planning I do yield studies which is conceptual platting for developers so they have an idea of how many residential units fit on a proposed parcel. For landscape architecture I have been doing concepts for portions of regional parks especially marinas and pickle ball complexes. I have a 3D rendering coming up for one of said complexes. I am looking forward to doing that.

SHARE AN OPPORTUNITY

If your firm is hiring or you’re aware of another opening that may be of interest to our students or recent grads, please get in touch by visiting: laep.usu.edu/alumni/student-placement