“We had to leave Highland at 6:30 a.m. to be on site by 8. That’s the job being the boss. Sometimes it means not getting eight hours of sleep — but you do what it takes to get the job done.”
— Emma Kiger, Project Management Intern
Emma Kiger didn’t set out to intern in construction. As a student at Missouri University of Science and Technology majoring in architectural engineering, her early interests leaned more toward design. But all that changed with a single conversation at a career fair.
“I saw the word ‘construction’ and stopped by the Korte booth. At the time, I was more interested in design — but talking to Elizabeth Vatole made me think project management might be more my speed,” Emma said.
That instinct turned out to be right. Now working with The Korte Company as a project management intern, Emma is putting her classroom knowledge to work on active job sites and real project challenges. All the while, she’s discovering what it truly means to Build Smart.
Seeing the work come to life
Before visiting a job site, Emma’s understanding of construction was largely based on drawings and meetings —seeing problems on paper, not in action. But travel changed that.
“Behind a desk, you hear about issues like switchboards or racks and try to picture it in your head,” she said. “But being on site paints a bigger picture. It gives you a real understanding of what’s actually happening.”
That field experience opened her eyes to the physical scope of construction, including everything behind the scenes. From schedule delays to compliance issues, Emma quickly realized that the path from start to finish is rarely a straight line.
“I used to think a project starts, and then it finishes — simple. But there are speed bumps. Sometimes parts don’t arrive. Sometimes subs aren’t compliant. You see that it’s not perfect, and that’s what makes it real.”
Built to grow
Emma’s summer at The Korte Company has been a crash course in real-world construction, communication and confidence.
Emma has learned that success in construction doesn’t come from knowing everything. It comes from being willing to learn anything. Whether it’s coordinating change orders, visiting the field or jumping in to help solve time-sensitive issues.
“Sometimes you’ve just got to leave your ego at the door,” she said. “There are people here who want to help you, and you should let them. That’s how you get better.”
For Emma, the blueprint may have started in the classroom. But her foundation is being built out in the field.
