Building the Next Generation in Construction: HPM Summer Intern & Co-Op Employees Share Insights
Each summer, HPM has the honor of hosting its Emerging Leaders seminar, a week for current co-op employees and summer interns to learn from and connect directly with leadership. Part of HPM’s core values is a relentless pursuit of improvement, and that includes preparing the next generation of construction professionals for their careers.
Emerging Leaders focuses on building skills in our industry, allowing participants to discover the best path for them, and offering advice that will help them in both their career and in life.
This year, the seminar included chances to network with HPM President Ryan Austin followed by valuable sessions on leadership in the construction management industry with HPM’s VP of Growth Strategy Taylor Thorn and SVP of Program Development Greg Ellis. Additional sessions included tips on how to best market yourself for success with Marketing Director Ashley Thompson, discussion on HPM culture with VP of Operations Jared Scheeter, a panel with former HPM co-op employees who are now full-time, and speed interviews.
At the end of the week, participants had the chance to present key takeaways on what they gained from the seminar:
“Living the core values, creating exceptional people, earning client trust, and inspiring positive change across the industry as a whole – it made me realize what we’re doing is more than just building projects, it’s building trust and the future.” – Mason Perry, Summer 2025 Intern
“The way we can serve others, whether it be serving your employer or serving the people under you, is a great way to build relationships that will last a long time.” – Isaac Nicholson, 2025 Co-op Employee
“We learned the importance of having tough conversations… a courageous leader is one that is willing to tackle crucial conversations.” – Hannah Grace Skipper, Summer 2025 Intern
“HPM makes the personal path for you that suits you the best. That’s something I don’t see at a lot of other companies.” – Bennett Bozeman, 2025 Co-op Employee
HPM is grateful to have our interns and co-op employees on board this summer and throughout the year. For more information on our student programs and how to apply, visit our careers page.
