Internship Spotlight: Lana Roach and Jaylen Thompkins

This summer, rising fifth-year undergraduate student Lana Roach and rising second-year master’s student Jaylen Thompkins interned at TMPartners in Nashville, TN. We asked them to share their experiences.

Lana:
“I’m on the healthcare team at TMP working on projects across all phases of design, this can range from initial design charrettes to construction documents. Being on a team that designs buildings that can positively impact people’s lives through space and place has been incredibly valuable to me. The most important thing I’ve taken away from this experience is a deeper understanding of healthcare architecture along with all its complexities and how to design for the best user experience possible.”

Jaylen:
“This summer, I have had the privilege of serving on the Commercial and Retail Design team at TMP, an experience that has profoundly influenced the course of both my academic and professional development. Contributing to a range of projects at various stages—from schematic design to design development, as well as participating in site visits—has deepened my understanding of the design process and expanded my capacity as a critical design thinker. Through this internship, I’ve come to recognize architecture not merely as a discipline of form-making, but as a powerful medium that shapes human experience and influences daily life across diverse contexts. What I will carry forward is not only a strengthened appreciation for architecture’s reach and responsibility, but also the invaluable mentorship and collaboration I’ve experienced with a team of deeply creative and seasoned professionals.”