Samir Mujtaba

Internships provide students with invaluable real-world experience that supplements their classroom knowledge. They can also lead to exciting job opportunities.

Samir Mujtaba, a Jacksonville native, is an Architecture Design Associate at The Haskell Company, a global, fully integrated, design-build and EPC firm headquartered in Jacksonville. His passion for design and creating innovative solutions to help improve lives emerged while he was a student at Bartram Trail High School and enrolled in Haskell’s High School Intern Program. He says the experience set the foundation for a successful career in architecture.

“The more you learn, the quicker you can advance,” said Mujtaba.

The High School Intern Program at Haskell is unpaid and offers a curriculum for rising high school seniors to gain architectural, engineering and construction exposure. During their six weeks in Haskell’s headquarters, students work on projects, tour job sites, participate in training through Haskell University and give weekly presentations to Haskell team members. The program started in 2018 with six students, including Mujtaba.

“It was clear to me that I wanted to pursue architecture as a career after my first internship experience at Haskell,” said Mujtaba.

Following his second year at the University of South Florida, Mujtaba transitioned into Haskell’s College Internship Program. The college program is a paid internship and students work on active projects. After his second year of college, Mujtaba transferred to the University of Florida and completed two more summer internships at Haskell before earning a bachelor’s degree in Architecture in 2023. Following graduation, Mujtaba was offered full-time employment at Haskell. He is the first full-time hire who participated in the high school internship program.

“In addition to architecture, I learned about business communications, business etiquette and goal setting in my internships,” said Mujtaba.

Both internship programs have grown extensively since their beginnings and continue to expand even more. In 2023, Haskell employed 89 summer college interns and welcomed 14 high school interns. At Haskell, interns work closely with team members and are given assignments that are critical to the company’s daily operations. Student interns gain job experience that better prepares them for potential full-time positions after graduation. Interns are a vital part of Haskell’s efforts to attract the best possible talent to contribute to creating world-class solutions for clients. Among the students participating in the collegiate program, approximately 90% receive an offer to return or transition to a full-time employee.

Mujtaba is well-suited for a career as an architect. He is creative, likes to draw and build, enjoys technology, and is eager to learn. He enjoys working independently on multiple projects and as part of a team. While math skills are important, advanced math is not a prerequisite in this career. During his internships, Mujtaba became certified in AutoCad and proficient in Revit programs. His drive and initiative gave him an edge for future employment. Mujtaba is grateful for the experiences and opportunities Haskell has provided and credits his supervisors for providing valuable advice and mentorship.

“My advice to other students is to start as soon as you can and learn as much as you can,” Mujtaba said. “You’ll stand out and be ahead of everyone else around you.”