Internships setting construction management students up for success

Internships provide students a glimpse into how they will utilize their degree in a real-world setting. For construction management students, this can be a crucial part of their educational experience.

Senior Emmanuel Kumi has been involved in multiple internships throughout his time at Minnesota State University Moorhead. The work he’s been a part of has set his path for the future.

Emmanuel is a construction management major and business management minor from Ghana. His department requires field experience for students to put their knowledge to use. He knew this was the best way to become more involved in his schooling.

“In construction management, you need to go out there and get your hands dirty,” he says.

For Emmanuel, the answers all lied in career fairs. He earned his first internship through RJM Construction. He realized that his status as an MSUM student put him ahead of other students.

“MSUM has really influenced my internship opportunities, sometimes the fact I am a student here gives me the upper hand,” he says. “My professors here have many connections.”

With the hard labor Emmanuel has put into his degree, he currently interns for PSI Intertek Construction and is part of the community’s 5-year flood diversion project. He works as a field technician to make sure the project, designed to improve flood protection in the Fargo-Moorhead area, is going smoothly.

Once Emmanuel graduates, he will transition to working full-time on the project until completion.

Emmanuel offers a unique perspective to the job as an international student. Whether it’s bringing people together or understanding he has worked harder to get where he is today, Emmanuel embodies the grit, humility and heart it takes to be a Dragon.