Growing the future: Meet JELD-WEN's 2026 summer interns

At JELD-WEN, investing in the next generation of talent begins with summer internships. In honor of National Intern Day, we’re celebrating our 2026 summer interns and the contributions they are making across the business. From engineering and operations to sustainability, quality and beyond, these emerging professionals are gaining hands-on experience, developing new skills and bringing fresh perspectives to our teams. We asked each intern to share their experiences, key takeaways and advice for future interns.

Caleb Ward
Quality Assurance Intern, Charlotte, NC 
University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Q: What does a day in your role look like? 

A: A normal day for me involves working with suppliers and North American plants to track quality claims and recover costs.

Q: What skills are you building through your role? 

A: I am developing the skill of being attentive to detail and ensuring every claim is accurate and supported by the right information.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you would give future interns?

A: My advice would be stay curious and ask questions while embracing feedback and learning from mistakes.

Kate Van Farowe
ESG Intern, Charlotte, NC
NC State University

Q: What does a day in your role look like? 

A: A normal day for me involves supporting sustainability initiatives through carbon emissions analysis, ESG reporting and sustainability communications.

Q: What skills are you building through your role? 

A: I am building my data and digital skills through building knowledge in excel and using AI to improve accuracy and efficiency.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you would give future interns?

A: My advice would be to take initiative by doing your research, asking thoughtful questions and looking for opportunities to contribute solutions.

Austin Goglin
Quality Coordinator Intern, Rantoul, IL 
University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign

Q: What does a day in your role look like?

A: Every day is different for me, with a mix of hands-on work, meetings, and computer work. Some of my recent projects have been focused around Standard Operating Procedures and Excel data sheets.

Q: What skills are you building through your role? 

A: A large area I’ve been building on is data analysis as I observe processes on the floor and translate them into understandable results.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you would give future interns?

A: Don’t hesitate to meet new people or ask questions; people are happy to explain the “why” behind a process or have a discussion with someone new.

Carlos Mujica Espinoza
Environmental Health & Safety Intern, Kissimmee, FL
University of Central Florida 

Q: What does a day in your role look like? 

A: A normal day for me involves supporting projects and daily operations while helping address new challenges as they arise.

Q: What skills are you building through your role?

A: I have developed time management skills and am learning to balance priorities, manage deadlines and stay organized in a fast-paced environment.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you would give future interns?

A: My advice would be stay curious; take the initiative, ask questions and use every experience as an opportunity to grow.

Zachary Schuler
Manufacturing Engineering Intern, Spokane, WA
Washington State University

Q: What does a day in your role look like? 

A: A normal day for me involves supporting improvement projects across multiple production lines and participating in daily plant performance reviews.

Q: What skills are you building through your role? 

A: I am developing the skill of working in a fast-paced environment where projects can directly impact quality, efficiency and employee experience.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you would give future interns?

A: My advice would be to ask questions; don’t be afraid to ask questions, because your team wants to help you learn and succeed.

Ryan Pennington
Maintenance Tech Intern, Pataskala, OH
University of Dayton

Q: What does a day in your role look like? 

A: A typical day involves upkeeping the preventative maintenance of our machines as well as responding to any dispatch calls that come through the day.

Q: What skills are you building through your role? 

A: I am developing my critical thinking, problem solving, and tool knowledge skills every day when I come in to work.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you would give future interns?

A: Be ready for change.