Jaron McGillivray (JM), Kayla Kumle (KK), and Paige Dieckmann (PD) share a unique journey. They all went through the construction engineering management (CEM) program at Oregon State University (OSU), interned at Lewis and now work as project engineers out of the Eugene, Oregon office. Their strong friendship, forged during their time at OSU, played a crucial role in their ability to navigate challenges and ultimately influenced their decision to build their careers at Lewis together.
Jaron, Kayla and Paige graduated from OSU in June and are all officially Lewis employees as of August. We recently sat down with all three to ask about their career aspirations, their time at OSU, and how they are finding life at Lewis.
Why construction?
KK: I originally dreamed of being a Broadway star, then worked for the Forest Service for a while and considered pursuing a career there. Eventually, I heard about OSU’s CEM program from a former boss. After seeing the impressive job placement statistics for graduates, I was convinced.
PD: My dad was a sheet metal worker, so I always had an appreciation for the trades. I started in chemical engineering, but I soon realized how much time I’d spend behind a desk. That’s when I decided to switch to construction.
JM: I wanted to study mechanical engineering. However, after taking a tour of OSU’s engineering department, construction management stood out as a more interesting career path and allowed for a nice balance of physical and mental work.
When did the three of you first meet?
PD: We first met in the Structures 1 course in the CEM program. We started sitting together and connecting over homework.
JM: Our bond began in the classroom. Paige caught me watching an episode of “The Simpsons” during class and gave me a hard time about it. We started joking with each other, and that sparked our initial connection.
What are some of your favorite memories from those early days at OSU?
KK: The first time we hung out outside of school was at OSU’s Contractor’s Night in April 2023. We all sat together and really started getting to know each other. I just remember a lot of laughter.
PD: On the first day of our internship with Lewis, we all carpooled to Portland together. Those early road trips, filled with music and laughter, marked the beginning of our friendship.
JM: I’ll never forget the fun we had going to a Hillsboro Hops game together and then having a game night at Paige’s house afterward.
KK: One of the best moments was receiving our job offers together. We immediately jumped on our group chat to celebrate. It was an incredible feeling to have gone through classes and the internship together, and now, we’re continuing our careers at Lewis.
Why Lewis? What made you want to pursue an internship and eventually accept a position here?
KK: I appreciated Lewis’ investment and involvement in the Associate Schools of Construction student competition as both a sponsor and as coaches. As a member of the OSU team for this annual competition, which involves schools from across the country competing to solve construction management problems in real-time and presenting their solutions to judges, I was impressed with Lewis’ support. Project Executive Lauren Holmes’ leadership as a coach and passion for the craft made Lewis stand out to me. I was also excited about working for an employee-owned company.
JM: Lewis’s strong internship program was well-known among CEM students. I loved getting real responsibilities and being welcomed by the project team. I built so many strong relationships during the internship that accepting the position with Lewis was an easy decision.
PD: I chose Lewis because I worked for a subcontractor at two Lewis jobs and really got to see firsthand how Lewis operated as a company. I knew right away that Lewis more directly correlated with my values and what I wanted for my future.
How did this friendship help you all through the CEM program and the Lewis internship?
JM: This friendship kept my grades up! We were always texting each other for help on school projects or challenges we faced during the internship.
KK: We became incredibly close. It was a huge relief to have someone you didn’t have to filter yourself around or code-switch with because they were in the same position, facing the same challenges, and needing to vent just like you.
PD: I constantly reached out to Kayla and Jaron with questions about assignments or for advice on working with different subcontractors. Our internships were on projects at different stages of construction, so we became valuable resources for each other, always learning something new and sharing that knowledge.
What are you working on at Lewis now, and how has your experience been thus far as full-fledged Lewis employees?
PD: I work on the OSU Withycombe Hall project as a project engineer, where I currently manage most of the interior finishes and landscaping scopes. Working through the year as an intern allowed a relatively seamless transition into my role as a full-time project engineer. I have an amazing project team that is always present and able to help guide me in the right direction for all the bumps in the road I have faced.
JM: I am working on the OSU Gilkey Hall project as a project engineer, currently in the preconstruction phase preparing for the construction phase to start, where I will be responsible for sitework, landscaping, and interior finishes scopes. The transition from intern to full-time was separate for me as I finished up my studies, but it has proven a seamless transition back. I already know the team from my internship, which is very helpful, and I feel welcomed and comfortable with my work.
KK: I work as a project engineer at Eugene’s Lane Community College ITEC building. I support the project team by managing the landscaping and signage scopes and help the other project engineers with their scopes. I am somewhat of a flex player, and it has allowed me to learn about multiple scopes! My transition to a full-fledged Lewis employee was pretty easy because I had the opportunity to continue my internship through my school year. Continuing my internship and taking a position at the same jobsite with the same project team has given me a better picture of a project’s life-cycle versus a three-month snippet.
