12 weeks, 12 students, One team. Port Houston’s 2022 Interns have successfully completed their summer program. This Internship program offers a unique setting designed to help high school and college students learn the ins and outs of the maritime industry. With the help of many different departments, students see how a successful maritime business operates while driving the region, state, and nation in economic growth.

Student’s Perspective

“I’ve gained extensive exposure to the maritime and global supply chain industries during my internship. I’ve loved seeing first-hand how my work supports the financial planning department as well as how different divisions work synchronously every day to maintain the largest port on the U.S. Gulf Coast,” states Evan Wu, Financial Planning Intern & University of Michigan student.

“My favorite part of the internship is meeting and talking to various professionals at the port. Being able to see the scale of operations within the port has been enjoyable,” states Brendan McMahan, Facility Planning Intern & Texas A&M Galveston student.

Interns feel like they are part of the team when they work at Port Houston; gaining valuable hands-on experience while making connections in the professional field they want to pursue.

Ricardo Ortiz Jr., M/V Sam Houston Intern and Houston Community College student, states “My favorite part of the internship has been learning about the different departments that make up Port Houston. Everyone made me feel part of the team and I enjoyed working at the port conquering new challenges.”

Victoria Caballero, Environment Affairs Intern and Texas A&M Galveston student, states “I’ve made key connections and learned about the vital work the environmental team does at Port Houston. This team always strives for greener solutions making a big difference to the surrounding port communities.”

Unlike most internships, students are exposed to many different departments at the port to expand their awareness about various career paths. Port Houston also encourages students to apply, evaluate, test, and integrate academic learnings into a real work setting.

“While working with the Emergency Management team, I’ve learned to work with local stakeholders to mitigate hazards, participated in disaster exercises, emergency operations center functions, and work with different departments to develop accurate and efficient emergency response plans,” says Michael Brooks, Emergency Management Intern and University of North Texas student.

Tomas Gonzalez, Project & Construction Management Intern and University of Houston-Downtown student, states “My internship at the port was great thanks to the amazing supervisors providing me with the resources for my projects. The Project & Construction Management department has taught me how to be part of the team and the importance of my role.”

Many interns that come to the port also have opportunities to become full-time employees in the future. Interns get to learn the fundamentals about Port Houston and see why employees have a fulfilling experience working at the port.

Caption: 2022 Interns gather for the last day at Port Houston to share their experiences.

How the Program Works

Like most other programs, Port Houston selects a handful of students to participate in its Summer Internship program every year. The student application process takes place from November – March and the internship takes place from May – August.

To be eligible:

1. Students must be enrolled in and have already completed two semesters in an undergraduate or graduate degree program
2. Students must either attend a Houston area college/university or have residence within a commutable distance to Port Houston
3. Students must be in good academic standing
4. Students may not be related to any current Port Houston employee
5. Students must be able to work throughout the established twelve-week program dates

This year there were 12 students from various schools that helped in Financial Planning, Facility Planning, Emergency Management, Marketing, Branding & External Communications, Project & Construction Management, Environmental Affairs, M/V Sam Houston, Maritime Education, Operations, Channel Development, and GIS/Asset Management departments.

When you take the first step with Port Houston, you’ve taken the first step in the right direction in your new career path. More details about Port Houston’s Internship Program can be found here: https://porthouston.com/careers-2/internship-program/.

Special Thanks to our 2022 Interns!

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Port summer interns working at community garden event.

12 weeks, 15 interns and more than 30,000 pounds of soil, mulch and sand. This year’s summer intern project was a true test of team work, as Port Houston interns successfully completed a total transformation of the community gardens at Mission Milby Community Center.

Mission Milby Community Center is located in the heart of Houston’s Pecan Park and has been
serving the local community since 1926. As part of the community project, the interns designed
an entirely new garden layout, complete with raised garden beds, recreational green space and
an outdoor learning classroom.

Their idea was to create shared space that would bring together schools and community groups
for the purpose of helping sustain, promote and connect the community in Houston’s East End.

In addition to the day-to-day work, the interns were able to tap into support from organizations such as
the Growing Roots East End Network, Urban Harvest and Houston Wilderness. “We are very proud of all
the time, energy and hard work that this group of interns dedicated to this project,” said Port Houston Manager of Community Relations and Events Garret Berg.

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