At The Embassy Suites in Hoover on May 20, CRH Midsouth Materials Region hosted an
orientation for its incoming class of summer interns, including Barriere’s 2024 interns: Ryan Laurent,
Jean Huckaby and Austin Walker.
At the May 20 event, CRH welcomed eight interns with a kick-off speech from APAC-Alabama Executive
Vice President Bret Thornton, followed by safety training with APAC-Alabama Environmental Health
Safety Coordinator John Gaither. After lunch, Training and Development Specialist Karl Kleinbeck shared
information about Microsoft Teams, and CRH Training and Development Lead Wendy Pritchett went
over program requirements and expectations. The interns spent the rest of the afternoon on a site visit
at Tarrant Asphalt Plant, led by APAC-Alabama Asphalt Production Manager Josh Jones.
Barriere summer internships are designed to provide real-world opportunities for students to learn and
grow in their chosen career fields. While a college education can be a vital foundation for students
entering the workforce, there is simply no substitute for firsthand experience and structured
mentorships.
Each intern works with a Barriere supervisor to develop a project for the duration of their internship.
Providing an important counterbalance to on-the-job training and working on team projects, one-on-
one mentorships give interns opportunities to ask questions and seek feedback. This helps them as they
develop new skills and gain an up-close understanding of what it’s like to work in a particular position or
department.
With majors in various areas of study, Barriere’s 2024 interns represent a diverse set of talents and
interests.
Majoring in mechanical engineering, Ryan Laurent is a senior at the University of New Orleans. He is
currently on a leave of absence from The Home Depot, where he works as a flooring sales associate and
operates reach trucks and forklifts. In addition to woodworking projects such as making benches and
wall décor, in his spare time Ryan enjoys taking broken things — like powersports equipment and
outboard motors that no longer run — and attempting to restore them.
Jean Huckaby is a senior at Southeastern Louisiana University studying occupational safety health and
environment. He is forklift certified, works as a bartender, and is the merchandise chair for his fraternity
Delta Tau Delta.
A senior at Southeastern Louisiana University, Austin Walker is working toward a degree in industrial
technology with a concentration in supervision. Outside of school, he enjoys hunting and hanging out
with friends.
We are pleased to welcome Ryan, Jean and Austin to Barriere and look forward to working with them
over the summer.
