About Stonebrooke:
For 17 years, Stonebrooke Engineering has provided planning, design, surveying, and construction services to transportation clients that include MnDOT and numerous counties, cities, and other local agencies across the state.
Stonebrooke is actively trying to grow their business but according to the company’s Vice President Chad Seaman, the Civil Engineering industry is at risk of experiencing a fallout of student interest.
“There will always be a need for civil engineering,” Seaman said. “We need to do our part to get this industry out there and get students excited about it.”
That’s one of the reasons why Stonebrooke hired interns Blake Conrad and Connor Kratzke through the SciTech Internship Program this summer.
Intern Connor Kratzke
Meet the Interns:
Originally from Shakopee, Minnesota, Kratzke is pursuing a Civil Engineering degree from the University of St. Thomas. This is his second year interning with Stonebrooke. During that time he’s worked both in the office, helping with design projects in CAD, and out in the field, working on trunk highway culverts and taking part in a three-week-long project on 46th street.
“I like that I got to be out there longer this year. It meant I could see the whole project from start to finish,” Kratzke said.
Intern Blake Conrad
Conrad went from studying Mechanical Engineering to Civil Engineering at the University of North Dakota. When asked about the switch he said, “Getting to go to job sites and driving on roads that I’ve worked on, I like the big picture of it. This is something that helps people every day.”
As a first time intern, Conrad started with research projects and later took on tasks like conducting a seat belt survey around the metro area and drawing geometrics for some of Stonebrooke’s designs.
As they reach the end of their internships, both Conrad and Kratzke reflected on the positive experience they had at Stonebrooke.
“I came back for the close, family vibe that they have here,” Kratzke said.
“Stonebrooke feels like a good fit,” Conrad agreed.
Get Involved
If you’re a STEM student looking for a unique internship opportunity with small companies like Stonebrooke, get started today at SciTechMN.org.
Are you a returning SciTech student? Reactivate your account by sending your current transcript to SciTechMN@mntech.org.