Intern Apartment

Glenn Burke, Airport Manager, South St. Paul Municipal Airport

The South St. Paul Airport has a unique way of attracting interns to its facility. Inside the arrival/departure building is an apartment where an intern can stay during her or his internship with the airport. This arrangement is advantageous for both the intern and the airport. Interns don’t need to worry about finding housing for a short period of time in a town they may not be familiar with, and everything is provided at no charge except for food and laundry expenses. The intern can also avoid the hassle of driving to work and fighting traffic every day. By living at the airport, an intern becomes more familiar with it and the tenants who use it on a regular basis. In addition, the situation provides a unique learning experience for an intern on what it takes to run an airport.

The airport benefits too from having someone close by to help airport users if needed or to be on hand for emergencies. Even an apartment for a summer intern who would handle mowing and other maintenance tasks would be beneficial. The most important advantage to the arrangement, however, is that there is no excuse for the intern to be late for work!