In a world turned upside down by a global pandemic, the vast majority of people have been living a life augmented by quarantine at home. For Kadmiel Kelome, a construction engineering technology major, a second-year internship with Turner Construction proved to be quite a change.

"Every day is something new," Kelome said. "I've never had a mundane moment when I'm at work."

Kelome added that his father, a mechanical engineer by trade in Benin, Africa, taught math and science shortly after moving to America with his mother in 1990.

"He molded engineering into me at a young age by showing me how problem-solving is the key to life," Kelmoe said.

Kelome's journey began at the Community College of Philadelphia before coming to Temple, where he also previously served as treasurer for the Temple chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers. Now, he is completing his second internship with Turner, working on construction of an office building adjacent to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care.  

During his first stint with Turner, Kelome worked with field engineers on pre-construction risk assessments, before transitioning to his second internship, where he assisted with RFIs and submittals, and led new subcontractors through company safety orientation and COVID-19 requirements, while providing technical assistance to engineers and superintendents.

"Turner gave me both perspectives of working on the field and now working behind the scenes," Kelome said. "One thing about this industry that motivates me, is the rate of change. Day in and day out, we are working as one to achieve the goal."

To learn more about experiential learning and internship opportunities at Temple, visit https://engineering.temple.edu/students/internships-careers