Spencer Douglas

Spencer Douglas and Ninah Magnent, two sophomores at Purdue University, will be attending an eight-week internship at NAHB in Washington, D.C., this summer to get an in-depth look at the housing industry and to help prepare themselves for their careers.

Now in its third year, the NAHB Residential Construction Leadership/Internship Program funded by the National Housing Endowment is awarded to students attending Homebuilding Education Leadership Program (HELP)-funded universities.

In addition to internships at NAHB, where the students will learn about legal, legislative and regulatory issues that affect the building industry, the program also includes internships at the NAHB Research Center, where they will learn about building products and management best practices, and five weeks with a Washington, D.C.,-area builder or developer.

“Our goal is to encourage more outstanding students to choose the residential construction industry for their career,” said David Jaffe, internship program coordinator and NAHB staff vice president of construction liabilities and legal research.

“This internship will supplement and enhance the students’ classroom experience by giving them practical field experience and an understanding of NAHB’s contribution to the housing industry and help them develop the skills they will need for a rewarding career in home building,” he said.

Douglas, who eventually hopes to own a custom or production home building company, is the treasurer of Purdue’s NAHB student chapter. Through his chapter, he attended the 2010 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas and competed in the residential construction management competition.  

He also has volunteered at the Builders Expo Show of the Builders Association of Greater Lafayette, Ind., and helped local girl scouts earn their "Ms. Fix It Badge" when they visited the Purdue construction lab.

“As the treasurer of my NAHB student chapter at Purdue, I try very hard to get involved with our community and have a positive impact with our members and community partners,” Douglas said. “When people ask me about NAHB, I love explaining what our student chapter does and how they can get involved.”

“NAHB is fairly new to me and I believe that an internship with them this summer would be the best possible scenario in order to gain valuable experience working in the headquarters and out on the job site,” he added.

Magnent, the other intern from Purdue, is president of the university’s student chapter and majoring in building construction management.

“This program will help us identify young people who can become part of the next generation of leaders for the industry — a critical need even during these hard times,” said Robert Pflieger, NAHB senior staff vice president for public affairs. “When these students go home at the end of the summer, they will have a much better understanding of the role of NAHB and its state and local affiliates, and they’ll have a better sense of the issues that are shaping our industry.”

For more information on the HELP grant initiative or the National Housing Endowment, visit www.nationalhousingendowment.org.