He helps people move! Meet Parker Barrett, a rising junior and Aerospace Engineering major at Virginia Tech and a summer intern in JK’s Government Services Department. So … what does one have to do with the other?
It started when Parker was 10 years old, and his family moved, using JK Moving to help them relocate. Parker remembers that the move had been a stressful time for him and his brothers, yet, “at the end of the day the crew took some time to stick around with a football to play catch with me and my brothers instead of just leaving.” This small act of kindness really resonated with Parker. To him, JK was more than “just moving stuff.” Instead, JK represented someplace that emphasized caring about people as a core to the bottom line. According to Parker, this previous experience piqued a desire to explore summer internships at JK, and after some research, he applied and found a summer home.
After graduation, Parker wants to work in the aerospace industry. While moving and aerospace may seem light years apart, Parker believes his experience with JK will aid him in his career journey. “The most important skills I can take away from my internship are communication skills,” said Parker. He attributes his daily interaction with customers and coworkers to a marked improvement in his ability to communicate. Parker wants to bring these new-found communication skills back to school with him and apply them to his activities there, whether that be student organizations or even group projects. He also believes they will be invaluable after he graduates, in job interviews and future jobs.
Be Caring and Courteous
When he sat down with us, Parker reflected on the most surprising aspect of working at a moving and storage company. “I couldn’t believe how complex everything was. From the other side, I didn’t really have an inside view of what moving was. There are so many different people that play a role, whether that role is big or small.” In addition, JK’s core value, “be caring and courteous,” resonated with him. Specifically, “the importance of caring for the people around you. If there is one thing I have noticed about this company compared to any company I have worked for before, is that the people truly care about what they are doing here.”
In Parker’s free time he loves anything that has to do with athletics and outdoors. When he’s not working or studying, you can find him lifting, running, and hiking with his friends. As he moves forward with his education and career, Parker is proud of his work at JK. He plans to take the skills and experience he has gained and apply them wherever he goes, which just may be to Mars, or beyond!