Mariama Sangare is from Senegal but was born and raised in Alexandria, VA and uses she/her pronouns. She is a junior pursuing a dual major in Management (EIT) and Business Information Technology Cyber.

Mariama will be interning for Clark Construction in the summer of 2023.

We asked Mariama to share both her internship and Pamplin experiences with us.

How did you find your internship? What is your title and what will you do for them? 

Went to Business Horizons and met the team of Clark Construction, 3 weeks later a team member emailed me saying, "The Clark Team enjoyed meeting you at the Virginia Tech Business Horizons Career Fair earlier this month. Please apply to our Summer Associate Program on ClarkCareers.com and let me know once you have done so”. I applied and within the week I was contacted to talk about the positions at Clark Construction, then they appointed me to the Vice President in the Nashville area to interview me. Then the next day, I was offered an offer letter. My title is Summer Associate. I will be helping in a couple of areas such as Project Development, Project Management, Field Engineering & Field Supervision, and Business Operations.

What do you think will be your favorite part about the internship?

I think my favorite part about the internship would be being on the actual work site in Nashville and helping out and not being behind a desk all day long, and having every day be something different.

What type of student would you recommend to apply to this internship and why?

I would say anyone that does not like the idea of being behind a desk for too long if you have any interest in construction, real estate, or even interior design. Someone who likes to push themselves and create solutions to problems. Here is the link, if you would like to apply for this position ClarkCareers.com

What do you want to do after graduation? 

I am unsure as to what I want to do after graduation, I have two majors so I am trying to find something that will allow me to use both majors at once and hopefully be able to travel with the job I get after graduation.

What advice would you give to an incoming Pamplin freshman?

I would say to go to Business Horizons, be involved in school organizations, and build your network as the years go. Having a great network system will help you achieve something a lot quicker, and I regret not doing it once I started attending Virginia Tech, because I really did struggle to find an internship.

What is your favorite part about being a management and or Pamplin student?

My favorite part about being a management/Pamplin student is that everybody is here to help you and you just need to be able to use your sources wisely. The management classes, especially with Professor Haines, were my favorite because you are allowed to think outside the box and be able to create a business plan that you can actually use and get funding for by going to the APEX center.

If any, what organizations are you in and what do you enjoy about them?

I am on Homecoming Board and Ujima LLC, I like these organizations because I am able to help others that are seen as minority groups be involved in Virginia Tech and not feel as though they are alone.