Daniel has the unique honor of being the first subject for our new Employee Spotlight feature. He is participating in our summer internship program, and we wanted to be sure to profile him before he returns to school.

In August, Daniel will return to the Missouri University of Science and Technology, where he will start his Junior year. He is double-majoring in civil and architectural engineering.

What are your favorite sports teams?

This question requires a little background. I was born in Los Angeles, California. My mom was born and raised there and my dad moved there from Mexico at a young age. As a result, I am a diehard Los Angeles Lakers fan. Purple and gold runs through my veins! I also am a huge fan of the St. Louis (formerly Los Angeles) Rams. I inherited my love of sports and Los Angeles based teams from my dad. Growing up, the Lakers and the Rams were always on TV and my dad was always screaming about bad calls and stupid plays. I’m a bit like him in this regard. It’s not often that I watch a game without screaming about something. Football season is close! I’m looking forward to seeing what the Rams do this year. They’ve been slowly improving. Management has to put some receivers around Bradford though. Don’t get me started about the upcoming NBA season. The Lakers haven’t look this bad in a while. Here’s looking to 2014!

What was your first job?

My first job was lifeguarding at Adventure Oasis during the summer before my junior year of high school. For the most part it was a lot of fun. Most of my co-workers were great people and I made some good friends. Thankfully I only had to make one save during my tenure as a lifeguard. I remember the dread that came over me when I realized the little kid that had just jumped off the diving board needed to be rescued. Thankfully I was trained well enough to handle the situation and pull him out of the water without any complications. It’s a great feeling to know that you just saved someone’s life. It was a great summer job. Especially after the evening shift because there was a chance we were allowed to eat the leftovers from the concession stand. I’d recommend it for any teens out there looking for work.

Do you have a favorite musician or group?

I don’t have one favorite musician or group when it comes to music. There’s too many great artists to try and say I like one over all of the others. However, I definitely have a genre that I favor over all others; Hip-Hop. Though I like many other types of music, Hip-Hop is definitely my favorite. My favorite thing about it, is lyricism. I love when an artist can display great wordplay and fit together words and phrases in way you never even thought of. Also I love the story telling aspect of Hip-Hop. Since it’s not really singing, stories can be told in vivid detail. Songs like these are great when you just want to get away from everything and relax.

What’s a random or interesting fact about you?

A random fact about me is that I was born almost three months premature. I guess I couldn’t wait to see the world. Doctors said I would probably be very small and not be able to develop a healthy mind. Thankfully I proved them wrong.

What is your favorite thing about working at Purdum?

My favorite thing about working at Purdum is everything that I’m learning. I was really nervous going into this internship because I didn’t know what to expect. I knew little to nothing about what it actually is like to work in this industry, and I still know pretty much nothing. But I know more than I did three months ago, and I think the little that I have learned will prove invaluable down the road. I’ve been able to see various aspects of construction management, from bidding work, to writing submittals, to seeing how superintendents actually handle problems in the field. I’m not yet sure whether I’ll be in management or engineering, but I think either way the experience I’m gaining will help me. I’ll be able to see real world applications to what I will be learning in school that some of my peers may not be able to. Hopefully I can return here and keep learning!