2026 Summer Intern Spotlight – July

Get to know the talented student interns gaining hands-on experience at Barton this summer. From engineering and architectural lighting design to field experience and mentorship, these future professionals are building valuable skills while contributing to real-world projects across our offices.

Ava Lewandowski

Electrical Intern
North Carolina State University
Office Location: Raleigh, NC

What school do you attend and in what year are you in the course of study?
I am a senior at North Carolina State University.

What made you decide to study your major, and has that changed since you started college?
During my freshman year of college, I considered majoring in a few different types of engineering. When I took my second physics class, I really enjoyed learning about circuit math and logic, so I decided on electrical engineering.

What kind of classes or projects have you enjoyed the most so far in college?
Last semester, I built a 0.95 GHz QAM transmitter for my Radio System Design class. It was really exciting when I tested the system and it showed the correct output. I really enjoyed being able to create something with everything I learned in class throughout the semester.

What made you interested in interning at Barton?
I first discovered Barton at the engineering career fair at my school. I had previously done some research about consulting engineering as a whole, and I was really interested in learning even more about it. When I went to the Barton booth at the career fair and spoke to some of my future coworkers, the consulting engineering industry and company itself really felt like the right place for me, so I became very interested in interning here.

Who has been your mentor at Barton?
Nick Veit.

What are you most hoping to get out of this internship by the end of the summer?
I am hoping to learn more about electrical building design, take part in many different types of projects, prepare for a future career in consulting engineering, and ultimately grow as a person, student, and professional.

If you could spend a day shadowing anyone in the company, what person or position would you choose and why?
I would be interested in shadowing anyone on our lighting design team. I would love to see the different types of projects they are working on and how their design process works.

What is one thing that most people don’t know about you for which they would be surprised?
I love Harry Potter and rewatch all of the movies at least once a year!

What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend?
My favorite way to spend a weekend is going to the beach with my friends. I love spending time with them trying new coffee shops and restaurants, reading on the beach all day, and binging TV shows/movies at night.

Would you rather / this or that?

Vanessa Bissol

Mechanical Intern
Penn State University
Office Location: State College, PA

What school do you attend and in what year are you in the course of study?
I attend The Pennsylvania State University and will be entering my third year this fall.

What made you decide to study your major, and has that changed since you started college?
I decided to study Architectural Engineering after attending an engineering career fair in high school. Since starting college, that interest has only grown through my coursework and research experiences. My internship has definitely confirmed that this is the field I want to pursue!

What kind of classes or projects have you enjoyed the most so far in college?
I’ve enjoyed the research projects I’ve had the opportunity to work on during college. I was a research assistant on the Smart Amphibious Housing Design project which was a great experience.

What made you interested in interning at Barton?
I was interested in interning at Barton because I wanted the opportunity to apply what I’ve learned in the classroom to real engineering projects. Since I’ve lived in State College for the past seven years, I was already familiar with Barton and knew it would be a great place to learn from experienced coworkers and continue developing my skills.

Who has been your mentor at Barton?
Kyle Courtney has been my mentor at Barton, and he has been an incredible resource throughout my internship. He’s always been willing to answer my questions, share his knowledge, and help me continue learning.

What are you most hoping to get out of this internship by the end of the summer?
By the end of the summer, I hope to gain even more hands-on experience using Revit. I’ve had the opportunity to work on some mechanical room projects, which has been a great learning experience, and I’m excited to continue working on projects like these while learning from the team.

If you could spend a day shadowing anyone in the company, what person or position would you choose and why?
If I could spend a day shadowing anyone at Barton, I would choose Stephen Oskin. He’s worked on a lot of different projects, and I’d like to see how he approaches them and solves problems. I think it would be a great opportunity to learn from his experience and continue growing as an engineer.

What is one thing that most people don’t know about you for which they would be surprised?
One thing that surprises most people is that I coach middle school cheerleading for the Mount Nittany and Park Forest Middle School teams here in State College!

What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend?
My favorite way to spend a weekend is with my family or friends. I love hiking and being outdoors, so a day at the lake or camping would be the perfect weekend.

Would you rather / this or that?