At EPI Construction, we are committed to supporting educational initiatives and providing real-world exposure to the next generation of industry leaders.
Recently, we were pleased to host interns from Blueprint’s summer internship program, offering them valuable insights into commercial construction at the Alliance Ouchi-O’Donovan Gymnasium project in Los Angeles, currently under construction. The interns explored our assembly processes and gained firsthand knowledge from our experienced team members.
Below is an account from Blueprint intern Jonathan Melendez, sharing his observations, interactions, and the impactful lessons learned during their site visit. We are proud to contribute to the development of future professionals in the dynamic field of construction!
Assembly Process – August 1, 2025
By Jonathan Melendez, Summer Intern
Who did you meet with today?
Gary Blackwell, Erik Lieu, Rudolpho, Favio Solares and Roger
Where do they work? What does the company do?
Gary Blackwell – EPI Construction – Commercial construction company – Recognized for delivering high quality projects across a diverse range of sectors, helping businesses & schools build their legacies.
Eric Lieu – Project Manager – EPI Construction – Contributes to the successful execution of construction projects within the company. He has a background in architecture and now works as a project engineer.
Rudolpho – EPI Construction – Supervisor, manages the construction project
Favio Solares – Alliance College-Ready Public Schools – Director of Project Management – experience in various roles within the organization – He has been involved in significant projects and initiatives aimed at bettering educational facilities and services for the past 20 years.
Roger – Supervisor, manages construction project
What did you learn today? What were some highlights?
Watch what’s going on & understand it to the best of your ability – Ask questions
Love what you do – You’ll never work again in your life – In the sense of your job feeling tired or demanding because you will always wake up and enjoy what you do
Money won’t matter if you are not happy with what you do!!
It’s fulfilling being able to see what you do – Gary mentioned doing the marathon and passing by finished sites and being able to point out projects he worked on and having a sense of fulfillment
See what’s out there – Be open to things
Ask as many questions as possible – Things start to click and open things up
What insights did you gain into the field of real estate development?
The hardest thing to come by has been electricity – Power & Elevators. Sometimes a project can be done months ahead of time but won’t be ready to use because it can take a long time for them to get the power running as well as the elevators.
What did you find the most interesting about the field after today?
The thing I found most interesting today was being able to see the process of a construction site, and how those scraps of either metal or wood and all other materials eventually turn into our day-to-day buildings and continue to be functional for various decades down the road.
