Thanks to a successful internship through Birmingham Promise, Henry DeVaughn III graduated from high school with a full-time job and a promising career at one of the country’s premier construction companies.
He recently celebrated his first anniversary as a full-time employee at Dunn Construction, where he is an apprentice diesel mechanic.
“He’s been a great fit for the Dunn family,” said Amber Kinney, vice president of human resources for Dunn Construction, which was founded in 1878 and has been based in Birmingham since the early 1900s. “He’s got a very bright future.”
As he approached the end of his time at Ramsay High School, DeVaughn wasn’t sure about his future but thought he’d like to work with mechanics. “I knew I didn’t want to go to college,” he said. “I wanted to work with my hands, and I knew I’d need to get a job.”
His plans were cemented in 2025 when Birmingham Promise placed him in an internship during his last semester of high school. Dunn Construction had never had a Birmingham Promise intern before, but the company jumped at the chance to bring on DeVaughn when they learned of his career interests.
He’d already worked two years at Auto Zone, which provided some relevant experience and demonstrated important customer service skills, Kinney said. Working well with people – including colleagues – is a critical part of the culture at Dunn Construction.
During his internship, DeVaughn found an environment where colleagues were eager to help him learn and proud of his achievements. “They admire you, they love you, and I love them,” he said.
It would have been a great learning experience if that had been the end of the story. But as the semester came to a close, DeVaughn was offered a chance to start a new chapter with Dunn Construction as a full-time employee.
After a year and a month, DeVaughn continues to build skills, helping to maintain the company’s fleet, as well as dump trucks and heavy asphalt, paving and milling equipment. The variety suits him.
“You don’t know what you’re going to do the next day,” DeVaughn said. “You continue to learn, and I love learning.”
The job comes with a 401k and benefits, but also with continual opportunity for growth. DeVaughn is surrounded by mentors and coaches with decades of experience, he will have regular training opportunities, and the company has a history of growing leaders from within. The company’s current president started with Dunn as a college intern 14 years ago, Kinney said.
The internship provided mutual benefits for Dunn Construction and DeVaughn.
Finding a good employee made the internship more than worthwhile from a business perspective, Kinney said. Being able to keep a talented young man in Birmingham, though, was the icing on the cake. “We love Birmingham and supporting our communities,” she said.
From DeVaughn’s perspective, most people would probably say getting a full-time job was reward enough. But for him, the icing on the cake is being a part of a vibrant company with big goals for the future: becoming the best road-building business in the world.
“I’m pretty sure this is where I want to stay,” he said. “I think I can really grow in this company.”
He hopes his story encourages students who are still trying to decide what to do after high school.
“I would tell students to seize any opportunity that’s thrown at you,” DeVaughn said. “I didn’t know this was going to be my last stop. If you don’t try, you’ll never know.”
