A Day in the Life of an Intern: Learning the Work of a Field Engineer

ADRIANA M. HEMZACEK
Communications Director
Stacy Witbeck

National Transit Career Day is all about introducing transportation careers to the next generation. Stacy Witbeck is introducing intern, Grayson Harter, to a career in construction management and engineering. Grayson is learning what it takes to keep an active construction project moving between the office and the field.

Harter’s day starts early with a team on a job site in Bluffdale, UT. By 7:00 a.m., the foreman has walked through the day’s work, providing a clear picture of what needs to happen and what could slow the team down.

If Grayson had to pick a song for the rhythm of his internship, it would be “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, a fitting reminder of why the crew starts every day focused on communication, coordination, and getting home safely.

Grayson joined Stacy Witbeck in January 2026 as an estimating intern before moving into his current role as a field and office engineer in May, all while balancing his work with full-time school.

He is part of a joint venture team between Stacy Witbeck and Ralph L. Wadsworth (RLW), hired to perform civil work, utility relocation, and track coordination along a corridor that will expand a single-lane road into four lanes beneath active railroad tracks owned and utilized by Union Pacific and Utah Transit Authority.  

Coming from a background of field work, Grayson’s transition into his current position has changed how he views the office side of field engineering. He has seen how much critical thinking happens behind a desk. Much of the work means looking weeks or months ahead, planning for project needs, and securing the right approvals so the project can keep moving when conditions change.

An internship on an active construction project teaches agility. Grayson’s days shift between the office and the field, often split 60/40, with the balance changing based on project needs. In the office, Grayson tracks quantities, prepares material submittals, performs document control, and joins coordination meetings with subcontractors, giving him a closer look at the decisions behind the work. In the field, he aids crews to solve problems as they arise: sourcing last-minute materials, coordinating deliveries, and taking field measurements to verify production quantities. He also supports environmental compliance with routine inspections and documentation for dewatering efforts and storm water pollution prevention.

The project has deepened his understanding of the complexity behind coordinating multiple stakeholders. “I’ve learned how many perspectives shape a single decision and how much of the job is knowing what belongs on the checklist in the first place.” Each owner, agency, and railroad has its own standards, and Grayson has learned how much right-of-way shapes each decision.

Working near active rail has shown him how safety guides each step, from planning access to coordinating around railroad requirements. Understanding how railroads operate behind the scenes has become one of the most valuable parts of his internship.

If “intern” wasn’t his title, he says he would call himself an assistant coach—someone pulled into every part of the project to help and keep the work moving. He is trusted with real work, surrounded by people willing to teach, and provided with room to grow. For Grayson, that is what makes the internship worth it.

Learn more about National Transit Career Day on November 12 and sign up to join APTA in helping the transportation industry become an employer of choice.