Joining the Moriarty Elementary School team in Norwich, CT, this summer is Kayla Balser. Kayla is one of the 2026 Building Group Interns. She is a rising junior at the University of Connecticut studying Civil Engineering and Statistics. Kayla serves as the MentorSHPE Coordinator for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), where she is developing a mentorship program that connects upperclassmen with underclassmen. While at school she also works in the iShop, which is the Engineering Innovation Zone.
While with her team in Norwich, Kayla has been learning the submittal and RFI process. She acts as a bridge between the different trades, notifying the contractors about submittals so they can be approved before the subcontractor comes on site. Staying organized is crucial, so Kayla created a spreadsheet of all her submittals so she can easily track and reference them. She also completes SOV sheets for the different trades, which she does with the Project Manager. “I get to see what everyone does,” Kayla notes. “Working with the Project Manager has been cool, as he handles the money side of the project.” Every week there are different meetings that she attends, giving her more insight into what everyone is doing to move the project along.
This is Kayla’s first experience working on a construction site. She was surprised by how many moving parts there are. “Everyone is always on the phone, asking or giving updates, checking on the subs, and holding each other accountable so that the work gets done on time.” She made an interesting comparison, saying that the site is like “one big group project.” This internship has helped her to step out of her comfort zone. Kayla has learned to be very vocal, requesting subs to submit their documents and asking questions when she needs help understanding something. “A lot of the terms they use were new to me,” she says. “I had to speak up and ask for clarification, which can be hard, but everyone is willing to help me learn.”
With these new experiences comes new skills. Kayla has mastered platforms like Excel and Procore, both of which she uses daily. She has noticed that her attention to detail has gotten significantly better, and that she is able to catch smaller mistakes. Her communication has improved, as she holds herself to a higher standard of professionalism when communicating with others on the site. Kayla’s confidence continues to grow as she becomes more comfortable with the work and operations of the project.
Like many other O&G employees, Kayla was drawn to the goals and missions of O&G. “I wanted to work at a place where I would feel important. O&G’s focus on family and connections made me realize I wouldn’t be just another number there.”
Kayla pushes all interns to “be proactive and ask for more work.” A large part of learning is actually doing, so it is important that you apply the information you are gathering. “Asking questions is great, but if you do not do something with those answers, no learning will have taken place.” Kayla emphasizes the importance of showing that you care and want to be at work. “Lots of people do not get the chance to be an intern, so do not take the experience for granted.”
A fun fact about Kayla is that she has been to Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, twice. She has family in Peru, so she was able to visit them and the mountain during her childhood and again this past year.
