Gorove Slade Named a 2026 InternshipsVA Top Employer
Every summer, Gorove Slade welcomes a new cohort of interns eager to apply classroom theory to real project work. This year, we were recognized for the time and effort our staff invests in our paid internship program, and we are proud to share that Gorove Slade has been named a 2026 InternshipsVA Top Employer.
But don’t just take our work for it. Four summer 2026 interns—Connor Jarman, Cheniah Wright, Jasmine Stolz, and Meredith Walsh—shared what they hoped to gain before their first day. Ten weeks later, they reflected on their experiences. So, what kind of summer did our interns have? Let’s find out!
Connor Jarman: From Software Skills to Engineering Judgment
Connor, a rising senior at NC State, joined Gorove Slade to build software skills he could carry into his final year and beyond. AutoTURN, software that models how vehicles turn and maneuver, became his most useful new skill through hands-on repetition. On one project—the longest assignment he has ever followed from start to finish—he saw how a transportation project evolves in the real world. He credited his mentor, Ariel, and the broader team, saying he “could not have asked for” a better internship.
Jasmine Stolz: From In-Person Mentorship to Client-Facing Work
Jasmine chose Gorove Slade partly because our staff provides training that’s predicated upon in-person experiences. That expectation held up, and her summer went further than she planned. She sat in on client and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) meetings and built policy research skills. She also worked on a multimodal transportation assessment for Potomac Yard Land Bay C West, her favorite project, which gave her the opportunity to create graphics in Visio and ArcGIS Pro.
Pictured (l-r): Meredith Walsh, Jasmine Stolz, Cheniah Wright–Longbridge, Connor Jarman, and Adam Stitt, a returning intern from 2025
Meredith Walsh: From Community Engagement to Collaborative Growth
Meredith was drawn to Gorove Slade’s mix of technical work and community engagement, and to the chance to collaborate with a fellow intern on a real project. On her favorite assignment, the Lake Forest Mall project, she watched design updates reshape the turning analysis over the summer. She also highlighted the deeply collaborative nature of our project approach. Working alongside the other interns helped the group “build the foundation of our friendship,” which she called one of the most valuable parts of her summer.
Cheniah Wright-Longbridge: From Data and Modeling to Real-World Impact
Cheniah wanted hands-on experience with traffic analysis, data collection, and modeling, along with a clearer view of how technical decisions shape communities. Her favorite project delivered both. She completed a full traffic analysis for a fast-food restaurant using Synchro, Vistro, trip generation spreadsheets, and critical lane volumes (CLVs), a measure of intersection congestion. She also learned to draft presentations and memos for community meetings, which connected her technical work to the public side of the profession.
All four interns describe the same things they valued about their time at Gorove Slade: accessibility, mentorship, and follow-through. We thank Connor, Cheniah, Jasmine, Meredith, and each of the smart and curious interns who have spent their summers with us. And we thank the mentors on our team who have made this program worth community recognition.
