2022 News

Intern Spotlight

Intern Spotlight
07.05.2022

Baker Group has a record number of interns this summer, working across all business units and departments. Here’s a chance to get to know them:

Maggi Braun

Business Unit/ Department: Industrial
College: Iowa State University
Year: Senior
Majors: Industrial Engineering and concurrent MBA
Hometown: Van Meter, Iowa

Why did you pick Baker Group?
When I walked into Baker Group for my interview, I felt a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. Each employee shared how they were treated like family here and how great the working environment was. The more I talked to the people here, the more I knew I wanted to join Baker Group.

What are you looking forward to most about your internship?
I am looking forward to growing my knowledge in the construction industry and the role of a project manager. Working directly with a full-time project manager is a great opportunity that I am eager to participate in. 

What do you hope to get out of your summer internship with Baker Group?
I hope to gain the confidence to continue project management long term. I want to get involved with all aspects of the job and assist in a wide range of various tasks.

What are your future plans/goals?
After this summer, I plan to go back to Iowa State University and finish my fifth and final year there. I will be graduating with both my Industrial Engineering and MBA degrees in the spring.

Tell us about your family …
I have a family of five with two younger siblings. My sister attends Iowa State University with me and will be going into her sophomore year. My brother will be a junior at Van Meter High School.

What do you like to do outside of school/work?
I love to spend a lot of time outdoors! Especially golfing, kayaking and boating. I also enjoy spending time with my friends and family outside of work.

What have you done for fun lately?
Recently, I have been enjoying running. I ran my first half marathon at the end of April and another the first weekend of June.

Where is your favorite place you’ve traveled to? Why?
I traveled to Italy this spring break with my roommates and our moms to visit our roommate studying for a semester in Rome. We traveled to Rome, Florence and Venice. Every city was beautiful, and we were able to see amazing landmarks and eat incredible food. We made so many memories, and I cannot wait to go back to Italy someday.

How would your friends describe you?
My friends would describe me as a positive and energetic person. They would say I am a great listener and always willing to lend a hand.

Caden Last

Business Unit/Department: IT/DevOps
College: Iowa State University
Year: Senior
Majors: Software Engineering, Math
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa

Why did you pick Baker Group?
It’s near where I grew up and has a great environment.

What are you looking forward to most about your internship?
Meeting new people and making connections.

What do you hope to get out of your summer internship with Baker Group?
Experience and some new friends.

What are your future plans/goals?
Graduate and continue learning about the field.

Tell us about your family …
Mom, dad, sister at Creighton University, two cats, one dog.

What do you like to do outside of school/work?
Soccer, run, get together with friends.

What have you done for fun lately?
Play piano, watch movies with friends.

Where is your favorite place you’ve traveled to? Why?
San Francisco. My family went to March Madness there.

Makayda Johnson

Business Unit/Department: Service
College: Iowa State University
Year: Senior
Major: Industrial Engineering
Hometown: Iowa City, Iowa/Richmond, Virginia

Why did you pick Baker Group?
From the very first time I came to Baker Group, for the rodeo interviews, I could tell it considers its employees an asset and priority to the business. Baker Group’s core values strongly corelate with my own, something I always look for in a corporate job opportunity. Although Baker Group is growing rather quickly, it remains the same in its culture, so I have heard, and that is hard to find.

What are you looking forward to most in your internship?
I am excited to network and connect with people in the office, as well as the clients I visit with the account executives. I am a big people person and strive to make long-lasting connections with others. This is what led me to the service team. I have experience in consulting, which is very similar to what I will be exposed to in the service department, so I feel right at home.

What do you hope to get out of your summer internship with Baker Group?
I hope to expand upon my client focus skills as it relates to sales and consulting. I would also like to gain experience in executing estimates for clients, to get a large range of experience in the service department. Outside of work-related activities, I hope to connect with the other interns to build my network and have others to gain perspective and insight from.

What are your future plans/goals?
I am graduating in December, so my biggest goal is to finish out my academic career strong. I will be pursuing employment in the consulting and sales discipline, all over the country. I am giving myself a deadline of fall midterms, around mid-October, to secure full-time employment. I am so excited to see where my career will take me.

Tell us about your family …
My mother is an executive HR specialist at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is from South Chicago, where most of her family still resides. My father is an X-Ray technician working at a clinic in Richmond, Virginia. He is originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana, also where most of his family still resides. They lived in Iowa City, Iowa, for more than 20 years until I was a junior in college, when they decided to venture off to Richmond. We are all very happy with the move and I love the opportunity to travel for the holidays. My parents are a great blend of north and south and make up a lot of my blended personality. I got my southern hospitality and love for cooking from my father and my need for retail therapy and wit from my mother. My family has a couple of odd traditions, such as ordering Chinese every Christmas Eve, going out for weekend morning walks and random movie nights in which popcorn is the dinner plan.

What do you like to do outside of school and work?
My hobbies include shopping (it’s more of an addiction, and I need rehab), cooking new recipes (includes baking), reading mystery and sci-fi novels, attempting new hairstyles, going to the gym (I’m far from a gym rat though), and reorganizing/cleaning (I know it’s lame, but it makes me happy).

What have you done for fun lately?
Cleaned my entire apartment while listening to music, immediately after finals.

What is your favorite place you have traveled to and why?
My favorite trip is one I went on last summer to Los Angeles. I went to visit my friend, who was working at SpaceX at the time, to celebrate both of our internships and the conclusion of another year of school. This was my favorite trip because it was the first trip I went on alone. My friend and I were also finally old (and financially stable) enough to enjoy all that L.A. had to offer.

How would your friends describe you?
One of the first things they would tell anyone is that I am genuine in the things I do. My friends have often commented on my ability to treat the smallest tasks with importance, because everything I do reflects my character and has meaning. They would also let you know that I am dependable and stand on my word. I don’t make a promise or commitment I’m unsure I can keep. After all that boring stuff, they would say loud and hilarious, that I can make almost anyone laugh unexpectedly. It comes in handy in a room full of tension.

About Baker Group

Baker Group is a commercial and industrial specialty contractor based in Ankeny, Iowa. With more than 1,100 employees, Baker Group is the Midwest’s premier full-service specialty contractor providing mechanical, industrial, sheet metal, electrical, building automation, process automation, security systems, fire alarm systems, parking/revenue controls and 24/7/365 service. For more information, call 855.262.4000 or visit www.thebakergroup.com.

News

Best of Des Moines 2023

Best of Business Record Award

Baker Group was recognized by readers of the Des Moines Business Record for best Mechanical Contractor, Electrical Contractor, Security Company and Best Company to Work For in 2023.

Top Workplaces

Best of Business Record Award

For a seventh consecutive year, Baker Group was recognized by the Des Moines Register as one of the Top Workplaces in the state.