In this Scholar-Athlete Spotlight, we are featuring Shale Saeger of Florida Tech men's lacrosse. This summer, the Odessa, Florida, native is gaining meaningful experience at an internship in his desired field. We caught up with Saeger to learn more about the incredible opportunity.

What company are you interning for this summer? What is your title and role with the company?
"I have been interning with T & A custom decks and docks for over two years now. My title is Carpenter's Apprentice. My role within this company is very diverse. I assist in the entire build process of our projects. From the hands-on demo and full rebuild to behind the scenes with quoting and obtaining material."

What drew you to this internship? What steps did you have to take to earn your position within the company?
"My main pulling factor to this internship was the hands-on learning of carpentry. The biggest steps I took in earning this position were learning the skills of carpentry necessary to obtain the trust of my bosses, and to complete jobs to the correct standards."

What are some exciting tasks or projects that you have been able to be a part of?
"With this company, I have completed numerous large projects, and they were all very exciting and unique. My favorite so far is a 1000 square foot, 85-thousand-dollar dock we completed last July. I was involved in the full demo of the existing dock and the subsequent full rebuild of the new composite material dock. Another fun project I was a part of was creating a 1200 square foot deck for a wedding venue. We had existing trees that we built the deck around and through a wooded area. With a nice cable railing, it turned out to be a very enjoyable venue spot."
 
What is your major at Florida Tech? Why did you choose this direction for your education and is this something you always wanted to pursue?
"My major at Florida Tech is Construction Management. I chose this direction because it aligned with my interests so closely. I can stay close to my passion for carpentry while taking on a more executive role after college. This, however, was not something I always wanted to pursue. I always had a passion for sports medicine. So, in high school, I obtained my Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) certificate. However, this internship has shifted my desires."

How has being a scholar-athlete prepared you for the work you are currently doing in your internship? What skills have you taken from your time as a scholar-athlete that help you in your internship?
"Being a scholar athlete taught me many traits that I was able to carry on over to my internship. Most important was my time management, as a scholar-athlete requires good time management. In order to balance course load, practices, games, lifts, social life, and extra work outside of all of that, this trait is necessary. Now, within my summer internship, this skill is key. I am juggling my 5-day work schedule along with summer workouts, summer training, and a social life. Being a scholar-athlete allowed me to handle these things efficiently. The most important skill that I have learned to help me on the field within my internship is team collaboration. We are a smaller company that sees each project together. We all have combined roles. Communication, trust, and work ethic are essential for ensuring we are on the same page every day. Something else this internship teaches is the commitment factor that a real job will take. Waking up early for work on weekdays and doing the background work necessary to make projects run efficiently."

How is your internship preparing you for a career you would like to do after graduation?
"This internship is preparing me to have traits to make me a better construction manager that will diversify me from others. For example, I am learning carpentry, which will be closely related to my job. I am learning how to do quotes and estimate material costs and numbers for jobs. I am learning how to work as a team in a real-life project setting."

What advice would you give another scholar-athlete/prospective scholar-athlete who is looking to pursue a similar path?
"The best advice I can give a scholar athlete looking to pursue this career path is to get an internship in a field of work you are interested in to figure out what you enjoy and what you don't enjoy. You are going to school for yourself, so make sure you end up somewhere you will enjoy doing what you do."