NDSU civil engineering student gains hands-on experience through summer internship

At NDSU, classroom learning extends far beyond the classroom. Through student organizations, career fairs and industry partnerships, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with employers before you graduate.

Ebenezer Agbenyegah, a senior majoring in civil engineering, was able to connect with professionals from Bolton & Menk, an engineering, design and planning firm, over the course of his summer 2026 internship there.

Agbenyegah first learned about Bolton & Menk through NDSU’s chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, a student organization that offers professional development opportunities, including meetings with local professionals and firm tours. After learning more about the company’s values and speaking with representatives during NDSU’s Career Expo, Agbenyegah knew Bolton & Menk was the right fit for his goals.

Now as a municipal intern, Agbenyegah is gaining firsthand experience on projects ranging from municipal airports to street reconstruction and infrastructure improvements.

“Bolton & Menk has put me in a position where I got to see what happens in the background. Every day brings new tasks, most of which are completed outside of the office,” he said. “This internship has shown me what happens behind the paperwork, and what goes into a project before it starts. It’s provided good insight.”

Along with applying lessons from his engineering courses, Agbenyegah has strengthened his communication, collaboration and time management skills while working alongside professionals from various departments.

“I'm really big on learning, and I try to learn in different ways. Being able to talk to other people and watch how they do things, I can take bits and pieces and then make my own thing,” he said.

The internship has also reinforced lessons he learned in the classroom, particularly the importance of designing with people in mind.

“One of the things I remember is a professor talking about how engineering really involves people's lives. You do your job, you know your calculations must be right, but you have to think about the person in mind too,” Agbenyegah said. “When you deal with roads and those kinds of things, it's not a matter of making a new road; it’s a matter of making a new road that will help everybody that uses it and thinking about how this is affecting people in the community.”

That perspective resonates with Agbenyegah’s own experiences. Growing up in Manzini, Eswatini, a country in southern Africa, he saw firsthand how infrastructure shapes communities. His interest in architecture and structural engineering grew during high school when an art teacher encouraged him to pursue engineering as a career.

Having transferred to NDSU last year, Agbenyegah quickly found a welcoming community that has supported both his academic and professional goals.

“Being at NDSU has given me so many opportunities. At this point, most of the civil engineering department knows me,” he said. “I feel like NDSU is just a really good community where regardless of whether you came here your freshman year or transferred, you'll always feel like family in the classroom and out of the classroom.”

Agbenyegah has made the most of his NDSU experience. In addition to his involvement with the ASCE, he serves as an engineering ambassador, works as an undergraduate research assistant and is the social media and networking chair for NDSU’s National Society of Black Engineers.

Looking back on the experiences that helped prepare him for his internship, Agbenyegah encourages future engineers to get involved early, build connections and stay true to themselves.

“Just be yourself and be proud of where you're from,” Agbenyegah said.

Now is your moment to see where NDSU can take you. Apply today or schedule a visit.

NDSU Marketing and Communications
Source: Ebenezer Agbenyegah
Writer: Meghan Arbegast