Meet our 2021 interns!
"It's always refreshing to see the next generation of architects and how they view things"
Ricki Cortez (standing) and Andrew Quinn
Andrew Quinn
Reed Architecture and Interiors has added two summer interns from Oklahoma State University: Ricki Cortez and Andrew Quinn.
"We are excited to have Andrew and Ricki join our team this summer," said David Reed, principal and founder of Sapulpa-based Reed Architecture. "They are both doing great work and have really jumped in with great attitudes and eagerness to serve and learn."
Cortez, 21, just finished his third year in OSU's architecture school. He looks forward to learning the Revit program and other staples in Reed's state-of-the-art software toolbox.
"What Reed offers is real-world experience," said Cortez, a 2018 graduate of Tulsa Union High School. "All of their projects are, for the most part, actually built. That's one thing we don't get a taste of in school. Everything's conceptual in school."
For Quinn, working at Reed provides the chance to explore how he might apply his skills in community design-build efforts. This goal mirrors Reed's mission statement; "Serve by design!"
"David pointed that out to me in my interview," said Quinn, 27, who this fall will start his fifth year at OSU's architectural school. "I served this past year at an organization called Freedom by Design, where you use design to do community service – community gardens, archways, ramps, things like that. It's something I realized I would like to do in my career."
In 2012, Quinn graduated from Riverside High School in Belle, WV.
Ricki Cortez
Four years later, he obtained a civil engineering associates degree from Montgomery, WV's Bridgevalley Community Technical College. He then came to Oklahoma to pursue his architectural degree.
"I've always been interested in architecture," Quinn said. "That combination of the artistic and technical intrigued me. It was something I wanted to do."
Similar interests led Cortez into this field.
"I've always been into the arts, so I was a big sculptor, painter, drawer," he said. "Anything creative, really."
Reed expects both students to make great contributions this summer.
"It's always refreshing to see the next generation of architects and how they view things and the talents and skills they are learning in school," said Reed. "It is a blessing to have student interns in our office and these two are a great fit with our team."