Jose Fregozo is not your typical high school student. A senior at Evansville North High School, he balances a full class schedule, works 30 to 35 hours weekly as a Papa John’s assistant manager, interns at architecture and engineering firm Three I Design, competes on cross country and track teams, and takes part in a variety of philanthropy events. In a nutshell, Fregozo is one of North High School’s shining stars, and he has a humble spirit, too.
Many employers may not traditionally consider a high school student for their internship program, but Three I Design was open to the concept after communicating with Andy Beadles, Fregozo’s teacher at the Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center (SICTC). The facility provides high school students with classroom and hands-on training in 18 diverse areas of study using the latest emerging technologies and equipment.
The management team at Three I Design was happy to take Fregozo’s extra help, while giving back to the Evansville community by offering a student an internship experience. Three I Design (formerly known as Three I Engineering) began in 1976 with three founders and now employs more than 60 professionals in areas encompassing land surveying, maintenance inspection, electrical engineering and more.
Fregozo discovered his passion for architecture while taking classes at SICTC and working for Three I Design. He is already a proverbial step ahead of many of his peers because he is learning specific on-the-job skills, such as Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) and REVIT architectural design software. Other areas in which Fregozo has contributed include floor plans and electrical drawings for Tri-State area companies.
“I really credit Mr. Beadles and my direct supervisors at Three I Design, Mark and Juston, for helping me better understand the field of architecture and why it is important to start preparing now for college,” says Fregozo. “Also, Juston attended Ball State University, and I am interested in pursuing college because I see where it can take you.”
Fregozo’s family did not have the personal experience to help guide him through the college application process, so he conducted research and paid for his own ACT exam and WorkKeys skills assessment. He will attend Ball State University as a freshman this fall.
When Fregozo isn’t busy with work, classes, sports and his internship at Three I Design, he gives back to the Evansville community. Most recently, he participated in a CANstruction build, which involved teams competing for the best designed structure made completely of canned food and drinks. Fregozo helped lead a team to create a lighthouse structure, which won “jurors’ favorite” and “people’s choice” awards. Following the event, cans were donated to the Tri-State Food Bank, which serves 33 counties in Southwest Indiana.
