New Sundt employee-owner Meagan Garcia started full-time with last month after spending a year as an intern. Growing up as an Army brat, she lived all over the world, including going to high school in Italy. She’s now settled in San Antonio, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Construction Science and Management from the University of Texas at San Antonio and is working on our CPS Energy Headquarters project.
What interested you about construction?
I was going to architecture school for a while and I think when everyone gets to a certain point in that curriculum you either want to be more a part of the design process or the building process. Although both are equally important, I was more interested in “how” things were put together versus “why.”
How did you get your internship with Sundt?
I got an internship position by being invited to a National Association of Women in Construction event, where I met one of Sundt’s talent acquisition employees and mentioned I was interested in an internship. The rest is history!
When did you know you wanted to work here?
I knew I wanted to work here when I was graciously welcomed to the company and constantly involved and motivated. You need to feel comfortable in your surroundings to learn, and if your job can teach you, motivate you and inspire you, then that is a good place to be! I also knew I wanted to work here once I found out how open the company was to providing continuous training opportunities. Not many can say they have experienced that, especially as an intern. I am a true nerd – I value education and love to learn and I think this is one of the many things that makes Sundt a great place to work.
Where did you get the idea to go up on the crane at the CPS Energy project to have your photo taken?
As we were erecting our tower crane, the “I climbed a tower crane once” stories came about and I wanted to give it a try. If you get to do something as fun as climbing a tower crane, you need a photo and a sign. The sign honestly wrote itself—feeling “on top of the world” because I was 300 feet up and because I am just loving it here at my first project!
What was that experience like?
I loved climbing up and hated climbing down—probably because the excitement was gone after I got to the top. The view and the experience was like no other. I am so glad I had the opportunity to do it! And if anyone is wondering, yes, you can feel it move back and forth once you get about 200 feet up. Good thing I am not afraid of heights—or a challenge! Ha!
After something that nerve-racking, what’s next on your bucket list?
To be honest, I have not given that much thought. I am just happy to be a new graduate and can’t wait to see what is next.