Most internships hand you a desk and a stack of busywork. Dominic Weingart got a business. As a College Works intern, he spent his time during college doing the opposite of shadowing: knocking on doors, generating his own leads, estimating jobs, hiring and managing a crew, and standing behind the quality of every project he sold. The painting is the vehicle. What he actually walked away with was a way of thinking about discipline, ownership, and follow-through that most people spend years trying to build.
What running a real branch during college actually looks like.
Dominic’s role left nowhere to hide, and that was the point. He was responsible for the full arc of the work: finding clients, pricing the job, building a team, and making sure every project met the standard he promised. As he puts it, “If something goes wrong, it’s on you. If something goes right, it’s because you earned it.” That kind of accountability forces you to grow fast, and it shaped how he managed his days. Lectures in the morning, estimates in the afternoon, job site check-ins in the evening, paperwork at night. The lesson that stuck with him was a simple one: discipline isn’t motivation, it’s consistency. It’s doing the work even when you don’t feel like it.
The skills that outlast the summer.
The conversations were where Dominic saw himself change the most. Standing in a homeowner’s living room walking through a $6,000 exterior project, he learned he couldn’t sound like a kid. He had to be clear, confident, and trustworthy, and he had to know how to listen, negotiate, and handle conflict when a job didn’t go perfectly. Leading a crew taught him a different kind of responsibility. His painters counted on him for steady work and clear expectations, and his clients counted on him to keep his word. That pressure made him more organized, more patient, and more deliberate about every decision he made, the same people skills, sales ability, and leadership instincts the program is built to develop.
What this says about the College Works model.
This is what the Student Professional Program is designed to do. It gives students real ownership and real support at the same time: training up front, a district manager mentoring along the way, and full responsibility for a business from there. The growth Dominic describes did not come from a manual. It came from being trusted with something that mattered and being backed while he figured it out. The choices you make between 18 and 25 shape who you become, and for Dominic this was one of them.
He didn’t just learn how to run a business. He learned how to run himself.
Ready to run your own business this summer?
If you want real responsibility instead of copies and coffee, the College Works Student Professional Program is built for you. Apply for the internship here.
Frequently asked questions.
What is the College Works internship?
Called the Student Professional Program (SPP), the College Works internship is a unique program that blends hands-on business skills development with high-quality house painting services. Unlike traditional internships, with the SPP you aren’t relegated to making coffee for or “shadowing” the people who do the work. Instead, you launch and run your own residential painting business, get comprehensive front-line and back-office training, and receive personalized mentorship from seasoned businesspeople that are passionate about raising up the next generation of leaders. Unlimited earning potential, transferable skills, invaluable personal development, and a competitive advantage in the post-graduation job market are just some of the other major benefits of this program.
Do interns paint homes?
No, interns hire and manage crews of workers that paint homes.
How much do I need to know about residential painting to run a crew?
No prior knowledge or experience of residential painting is required to be an SPP intern. While exterior painting is a fairly simple process that can be easily taught, our painting training for interns largely focuses on job site management. This includes knowledge of safety protocols, quality control, and equipment use. Our management training equips you with the skills you’ll need to lead the people side of your operation, including hiring, firing, and motivating your workers. Aside from this, District Managers are always available to answer any painting and production questions.