DPR's Build Up high school internship program creates career possibilities for students interested in construction. Almost half of the participants each year are young women. Meet Olga Hernandez, a Build Up participant who became a full-time team member.

Recent college graduate Olga Hernandez has already made a mark on the world. She started with DPR as a Build Up high school intern during her senior year, and in true DPR spirit, she moved ever forward through her career journey. Olga returned each summer, and some winter breaks, to gain as much experience as possible.

And the hard work paid off.

Olga began full-time with DPR in May 2023, after graduating from Texas State with a double degree in construction science and business management.

“I’m so thankful that DPR allowed me to come back after my first internship,” she said, while taking a break between studies and work. “I was nervous going in. I was a high schooler—I had never done anything with RFIs or change orders so I thought, ‘Let’s see how it goes and if they ask for me to come back, I will.’ I’ve been very fortunate to go back every summer.”

DPR’s Build Up program does more than simply send students to jobsites. It supports construction management internships for under-resourced students, and the objective is for them to learn a variety of real-life skills—how to manage a multi-million-dollar project, the innovative technology used for planning, scheduling and design, and the wide range of professional roles needed to build great things. Build Up is also expanding the diversity you’ll see on job sites—47% of participants identify as female.

For Olga, she has experienced “a little bit of everything,” including working on a project for a major hotel chain. She has grown up, literally and figuratively, while on jobsites, and her work experience has been a confidence builder. In an industry where just 10% are female*, building that confidence is vital.

“It’s still a male dominated industry, but thankfully, every individual that I have worked with at DPR has helped me grow my confidence and help me be sure of who I am as an engineer and as an individual, so it’s reflected into my everyday life and at the job site. I think that’s what set me up for success. I’ve grown and I’ve gotten more confident over time,” Olga said.

The number of women in construction is growing, and programs like Build Up create a pipeline for interested students, preparing them for a bright future.

“Many of the Build Up high school interns come to DPR interested in careers in engineering or architecture,” said Diane Shelton, a member of DPR’s Global Social Responsibility team. “After a few weeks on their projects, most realize that construction management lights up their interests in problem solving and new technology and is more fun than sitting in an office. With almost half of the participants being young women, we are particularly excited to expand female representation in the industry. These young women are starting a journey they may have once thought impossible.”

Olga’s skills and education come to life through the construction projects she’s worked on. Beyond the tangible buildings she’s helped construct, she has gained confidence and a network, including strong female mentors.

“Luckily throughout all my internships, I’ve met other women that are in the industry as well,” she said. “We still keep in touch. I’ve made great relationships with a lot of people here at DPR. It’s been a great exposure, not only in the sense of showing me what I’m going to do when I graduate, but also expanding my network and getting to know more people.”

Olga has truly built great things at DPR, and she can count her career among them.

*Bureau of Labor Statistics