Senior Spotlight: Meet Spencer Hainey, Rogers High School Senior and Facilities Planning Intern

As graduation approaches, Rogers High School senior Spencer Hainey is wrapping up more than just his final year of high school. He is also completing a year-long internship with Puyallup School District’s Facilities Planning team in Capital Projects. 

Through the department’s student internship program, students gain valuable real-world experience, build professional connections, and explore career pathways through paid opportunities while still in school. 

For Spencer, an avid robotics enthusiast, the internship provided a behind-the-scenes look at how schools are planned, maintained, and prepared to serve students now and in the future. 

Spencer began his internship in 2025 over summer break between his junior and senior year where he contributed to projects across the district. During the school year, Spencer utilized 1–2-hour shifts to continue working over the 2025-26 school year. His work included measuring school spaces, creating digital building maps, digitizing documents, and helping identify and map key building assets.   

“Before this internship, I never realized everything that happens behind the scenes,” Spencer shared. “It showed me how teams maintain current plans for each school and how they adapt and plan around unexpected challenges.” 

One project stands out to him. 

“I am especially proud of the asset mapping we completed for each school,” Spencer said. “It was difficult at times, but ultimately worth the time and effort.” 

“Spencer brought a thoughtful and steady approach to his work with our team,” said Lisa Wilcox, AutoCAD and GIS Specialist. “He handled detailed field and data tasks with care, and his contributions helped us keep our project information accessible to staff now and in the future. It was clear he was building both technical skills, and a strong understanding of how our work supports schools.” 

Like many students entering an internship for the first time, Spencer was not sure what to expect. He anticipated long days at a computer but quickly discovered a more varied experience. 

“It was a lot better than I expected,” he said. “I thought it would be working at a computer all day, every day, but it included more hands-on experiences than I expected.” 

Beyond technical skills, Spencer says the experience gave him a better understanding of professional environments and helped prepare him for the future. 

“It has shown me what a professional work environment can and should look like and gave me experience earlier than most people gain it.” 

“Student internships are an important part of how we invest in both our students and our future workforce,” said Brian Devereux, Facilities Planning Director. “Spencer’s work this year provided meaningful support to our team while giving him hands-on experience with the systems and processes that keep our schools running. This kind of learning reflects Puyallup’s tradition of excellence and helps build a strong foundation for the next generation.” 

Spencer’s advice for students considering an internship: 

“Do not wait to apply. This is a great experience and a great way to gain job experience.” 

As Spencer prepares to graduate, his time with Facilities Planning highlights the value of creating opportunities for students to learn by doing. 

We are grateful for Spencer’s hard work, curiosity, and dedication this year. We look forward to seeing where his future takes him. Congratulations, Spencer, and thank you for supporting our schools while building your own path forward.