Ali Belcher’s Career in Construction
Ali Belcher, a Nabholz project engineer, began her relationship with Nabholz as a summer intern before her senior year at Missouri State University. She was encouraged by the MSU Construction Management program to take on a summer internship to gain hands-on experience in the construction industry. Belcher chose to spend her summer as an intern with our Springfield, Missouri team.
Having an Unexpected Experience
Belcher’s first few weeks were spent getting to know the team and asking questions.
“They were all incredibly welcoming,” Belcher said. “They took the time to answer my questions and made me feel like part of the team, which I really appreciated.”
One day, Belcher eagerly asked if she could join two of our team members for a site walkthrough and client presentation. She felt that it was an opportunity to experience the real-world version of what she was learning and preparing to do.
Belcher joined the team in presenting to the owner, architect, and engineer of the project. At the end of the presentation, she and the other team members were talking, and an owner’s representative turned to Belcher and asked her a question she was not prepared for.
“Now, I want you to tell me why we should choose Nabholz for the project.”
The room got quiet and Belcher answered as honestly as she could.
“I think that you should choose Nabholz for the same reason I chose Nabholz. I had offers to intern with a few different companies, but I chose Nabholz because of the culture that I could see that day I walked in for my interview. From what I’ve experienced, Nabholz truly puts people first, and I believe that carries over to our clients. We genuinely care about building relationships and giving our clients the best experience possible.”
This ended up being her most memorable experience during her internship. When reflecting on the moment, Belcher explained how thankful she is to have had that opportunity. This, along with her school and competition experience, gives her the confidence to stay calm and answer with certainty when other unexpected moments arise.
“More than anything, though, I was simply grateful to have been included in the interview process and trusted to be in the room.”
Belcher stayed with Nabholz throughout the school year and after graduation was hired full-time as a project engineer.
Nabholz Internships
Experiences like Belcher’s are the type of unique opportunities that Nabholz hopes to provide our interns. This year, Nabholz had a record-breaking class: 57 interns from 29 universities. These interns gained hands-on experience building their communities, connecting with owners and trade partners, and becoming part of the Nabholz team.
To learn more about our internship program, click here.
