Meet Ah’Janae Walton, a participant in Granger Construction’s 2025 Summer Internship Program. This summer, Ah’Janae contributed her talents to the MSU West Regional Chilled Water Plant project in East Lansing, MI, where she served as an Assistant Project Engineer.
A Senior at Michigan State University majoring in Civil Engineering, Ah’Janae was drawn to Granger. “I was inspired to intern at Granger because of its strong local impact and reputation for meaningful, community-driven projects,” she shared. “What stood out to me the most was the high intern return rate. It showed me that Granger invests in its people and creates an environment where interns want to come back.”
Throughout her internship, Ah’Janae played a key role in supporting the project team by managing documentation, processing RFIs and submittals, and maintaining procurement and submittal logs to ensure timely tracking of materials and approvals. Her work helped keep the project organized and moving forward.
Collaboration and communication were central to her experience. From coordinating with subcontractors to updating the project team and solving problems on-site, Ah’Janae embraced the importance of teamwork. “My favorite part of my internship at Granger was getting to work with such an awesome and collaborative team,” she said. “Every day felt like an opportunity to learn something new and contribute in meaningful ways. The mentorship I received at Granger has been instrumental in my growth. My supervisor, Christy Sopocy, was incredibly supportive, always providing feedback and creating a space where I felt comfortable asking questions and learning. Having that kind of guidance and female representation on site made a big impact. It showed that I belong in this field and helped build my confidence.”
Her advice to future interns? Speak up and dive in. “You don’t need to know everything on day one,” she said. “Asking questions, sharing ideas, and taking initiative will help you grow faster than you think. The team is there to support you, and you’ll learn the most by being curious, engaged, and open to new challenges. Confidence comes with experience, and it starts the moment you give yourself permission to try.”
