Ruiz Erectors, a steel-erecting company, partnered with CSLAP to provide an internship that dives into the engineering and business aspects of Ruiz Erectors, alongside weekly workshops that develop the interns’ leadership and professional skills. It seemed clear that Thomas wanted us interns to leave the internship with an impact in mind. With that being said, Ruiz Erectors impacted my mentality for college and my future career; inversely, I impacted Ruiz Erectors and CSLAP through our fundraising project. 

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There is no doubt that many high school graduates pursue a certain career path during college, only to realize it is not what they expected or wanted. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to experience the engineering and business industry the summer right after high school, and it was a success and reassurance that I wanted to pursue it. From analyzing blueprints, working with clients, to visiting job sites, I loved every moment of working with Martin Ruiz, the head of Ruiz Erectors. These challenging yet fun tasks were different every day, so the life of an engineer is never dull. Therefore, I knew I wanted to pursue this path. As a result, my message to the reader would be to get a taste of what you want to pursue because once you truly dive into your career, you are in it for the long run.

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When referring to my impact on the internship, Martin Ruiz recommended to plan and execute a food plate fundraiser for CSLAP’s scholarship donations. The four interns, Abraham, Bryan, Alan and I, began by determining the best prices for our tickets and costs. We also tasked employees to sell tickets, sold tickets to other local businesses, and created a spreadsheet with all the numerical data. This experience was heavily intertwined with the business side of a company, so I learned how to be a better salesman, be more resourceful, and have better time-management skills. 

 

The day of the fundraiser was tiring, yet rewarding because it was then where I saw the impact made. The fundraiser not only helped Ruiz Erectors by having their name more known, but we also contributed to a future CSLAP scholar’s college expenses, by raising over $700.

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All in all, I am blessed to have been an intern for Ruiz Erectors, all while gaining professional, leadership, speech, and resume skills through Thomas’s workshops. I gained engineering and business insights that not many companies can offer, and I am proud of my team for executing a successful scholarship fundraiser. In my opinion, making an impact for both the intern and company is the best result that can happen in an educational internship like this one.