Stories
At RMW, interns don’t spend their summer observing from the sidelines. They contribute to active projects, work alongside architects, interior designers and marketing professionals, and gain hands-on experience that helps shape their future careers.
For intern Akira Tamaoki, the day begins with an early ferry ride across the bay into Downtown San Francisco. Arriving before most of the office, he uses the quiet time to settle in, review emails and organize priorities for the day.
“That gives me the chance to open my emails, figure out my responsibilities for the day and think about what my priorities are,” he said.
Tamaoki joined RMW after connecting with team members at a career fair and was drawn to both the people and the company culture. Looking back on the summer, he says the biggest area of growth has been developing professional soft skills.
Bottom row (left to right): Olivia Balzarano, Elizabeth Leonhardt
assisting with the overall submittal process.
While no two internships look the same, interns across RMW share a common experience: meaningful work, supportive teams and opportunities to grow.
Real Work from Day One
Many interns are surprised by how quickly they’re entrusted with important responsibilities.
For Olivia Balzarano, an architecture intern in the Sacramento studio, that sense of responsibility was one of the key reasons she chose RMW. Team members emphasized that interns would contribute to projects rather than simply observe.
San Francisco marketing intern Elizabeth Leonhardt had a similar experience. After just one day of onboarding, she found herself editing a proposal that would be sent to a real client.
“I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I was able to contribute to meaningful work,” she said.
The transition from the classroom to professional practice was equally immediate for San Jose interiors intern Shaniya Bandaranayake.
“It’s very different to what you learn in school,” she said. “It really throws you into the industry.”
For IT intern Jonathan Lew, the biggest surprise was the variety of work happening behind the scenes.
“Putting out a bunch of fires is interesting and not something I expected,” he said.
Sacramento architecture intern Tabarek Aldabbagh was also surprised by how quickly she became involved in project work.
“I expected to come here and be given minor tasks and not be very involved,” she said. “I was happy to immediately join in as part of the team working on projects.”
Building Connections Beyond the Work
While project experience is a major part of the internship, many interns say the relationships they built were just as valuable. Through project collaboration, office conversations, company events and informal outings, interns connected with peers and professionals across the firm.
For Leonhardt, those relationships became one of the most memorable parts of the summer.
“One of the best parts of the internship was getting to go through the experience alongside the other interns,” Leonhardt said. “Getting to know my peers helped us build friendships and professional connections that will last beyond the summer.”
Lew said the intern group was welcoming from the beginning.
“The interns were really friendly… they’re all very inclusive, even though I didn’t know them that well,” he said.
Those connections grew throughout the summer, including an unexpected friendship with fellow intern Nate Schutt.
Photo courtesy of Akira Tamaoki
“I became close to Nate, who I did not expect to be close to, just because we’re in different fields in the company,” Lew said. “We started talking about our hobbies and our passions and how career driven we are.”
For Schutt, connecting with peers experiencing the same transition into professional life was especially meaningful.
“It was great to be around people that are in a similar situation to me, similar age, maybe fresh out of college or graduating next year,” he said. “It felt like peers.”
Tamaoki also appreciated opportunities to connect outside of project work, particularly through the company softball team.
“It was really great meeting more people in the office,” he said.
“It’s really nice getting to know people at other firms and other aspects of the industry outside of purely work.”
More Than Interns, Part of the Team
Beyond project work and networking, interns consistently pointed to RMW’s culture as one of the most memorable aspects of the experience.
Sacramento interior design intern Zinah Maki said the collaborative atmosphere stood out immediately.
“Here, everyone’s talking, everyone has each other’s backs,” Maki said. “Everyone is so willing to help.”
Bandaranayake described the culture as warm and approachable, noting that colleagues were always willing to answer questions and offer support.
Lew echoed those sentiments.
“Everyone I’ve talked to at this company has been really nice, and everyone is super open to mentoring,” he said.
Living and Working in San Francisco
For many interns, spending a summer in San Francisco became an important part of the experience.
Lew, who grew up in the city, said working downtown gave him a new appreciation for it.
“The public transportation system is really good, so it’s convenient to just hop on a train and it’ll take you straight to where I need to go,” he said.
“I think it’s just cool to see how each neighborhood is unique,” Lew said. “Each neighborhood has its own identity.”
For Schutt, who relocated from Oregon, nearly every day brought something new.
“A lot of new stuff, a lot of changes,” he said. “Trying new food every week. I’ve never had so much diversity in what I eat.”
“Going to the beach a lot, walking a lot, walking up a lot of hills, walking down a lot of hills, learning this crazy public transportation network here,” he said. “That’s been a lot of fun.”
Leonhardt, who recently returned to Northern California after college, embraced the opportunity to experience the city in a new way.
“I never really spent a lot of time in the city until now,” she said. “Getting the opportunity to work here has allowed me to really explore and experience San Francisco.”
Tamaoki said commuting into the Financial District gave him a new perspective on professional life.
“The biggest adjustment is finally being in those shoes and going into work every single day and actually living the working life,” he said.
“You’re surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people who are all going through a very similar work day,” Tamaoki said. “The whole vibe of the area lives and breathes on the workers.”
Real Impact and Professional Growth
As interns gained experience, many began taking on larger responsibilities and seeing the direct impact of their work.
San Francisco interior design intern Sophie Davies remembers completing a project independently and realizing how much she had learned in just a few weeks.
“I was proud of it because I definitely wouldn’t have known how to do that at the start of the internship,” she said.
Bandaranayake experienced a similar sense of accomplishment when a design feature she selected was ultimately chosen by a client.
“That was a really good feeling,” she said.
Many interns also valued exposure to professional processes that receive little attention in the classroom. Maki pointed to experiences like project proposals, punch walks and field verification.
“At school we don’t really go over those,” she said.
The experience also helped interns build confidence and develop greater independence in their work.
A Foundation for the Future
By the end of the summer, many interns left with greater clarity about their future careers.
For Maki, the experience reinforced that she is pursuing the right profession. Davies said the internship strengthened her confidence in her chosen field, while Aldabbagh developed a deeper appreciation for collaboration and helping others bring ideas to life.
For Tamaoki, the experience confirmed that architecture is where he wants to build a long-term career.
“I could see myself doing this work for another 30-40 years,” he said.
When asked what they would tell future interns, the answers were overwhelmingly positive.
“I would definitely recommend this internship,” Aldabbagh said.
“Do it,” Tamaoki added.
“You should do it, it’s really fun,” said Davies.
Bandaranayake perhaps summarized the experience best:
“This experience will really change you a lot. It’s such a good steppingstone in anyone’s career.”
Although internships may only last ten weeks, the skills, relationships and confidence gained extend far beyond a single summer. For many RMW interns, the experience becomes an important step toward the careers they hope to build.
Contributors
Elizabeth Leonhardt / Derek Raymond