Tyler Walden, 21, a senior business administration major at North Dakota State University, is the first College Works intern to produce over $500,000 in sales revenue in a season. His branch finished the year having completed 77 jobs and produced $501,224, with a team of 16 employees.
Who is Tyler Walden?
Walden came into his senior year at North Dakota State University carrying two seasons with College Works already behind him, along with a drive to lead from the front. During the summer, he set out on a fifty mile overnight run, finished in just under ten hours, and was back managing his branch’s production before most people would have had their coffee. Over his two years with College Works, he has logged 1,309 miles running, a habit he treats less like exercise and more like proof that he can push through whatever a day throws at him.
How did he push his branch past $500,000?
Walden stopped looking at obstacles as reasons to slow down and started looking for new ways forward.
“I took a step back and looked at the business from a different perspective. Instead of focusing on what wasn’t working, I focused on what I could change, improve, and scale,”
he said. That shift changed everything. What stood out most was not just the number. It was the way he grew into the leader the business needed. He learned how to manage a team, make decisions under pressure, stay composed, and keep moving even when the path was not obvious. The $500,000 milestone was the result. The bigger win was who he became getting there.
What did the payoff look like?
By the end of the season, the numbers told part of the story:
- $501,224 produced
- 77 jobs completed
- 16 employees on the team
- 70 plus five star customer reviews this year
But the real payoff was bigger than the numbers. One project came from a customer with a wide network of business connections. Several other companies had already walked away from the job, but Walden and his team stepped in and finished it.
“He told us five other contractors had come out and said they couldn’t handle it,” Walden said.
The client was so impressed, he thanked the crew with roughly $300 worth of Cuban cigars. That moment said a lot. The team had built a reputation for taking on hard things, following through, and delivering when others could not.
What is next for Tyler Walden, and what does he tell other students?
Walden is moving from managing his own branch to becoming a district manager at College Works, where he will recruit, coach, and mentor the next generation of interns. His advice is simple: do not run from the hard opportunities.
“Do not be afraid of a challenge or something hard,” he said. “Those opportunities are what make you grow as a person and lead to greater success down the line.”
For Walden, the season was never just about building a $500,000 business. It was about proving what can happen when you take responsibility, stay composed under pressure, and keep growing into the person capable of the next opportunity.
What is the College Works internship?
The College Works internship gives college students the opportunity to run a real business while still in school. Interns manage their own local branch from start to finish, including sales, estimates, hiring, training, scheduling, budgets, production, and customer service. They are not doing it alone. College Works provides up-front training and ongoing mentorship from experienced leaders throughout the season. The result is hands-on leadership experience most students do not get in a classroom. College Works has also earned national recognition, including the Talk Award for Service Excellence for 16 consecutive years, Best of Houzz for 10 consecutive years, and a place on Newsweek’s list of America’s Greatest Workplaces 2026.
Think you could run your own branch?
Tyler Walden started as a college student. He finished the season with a branch that produced $501,224, completed 77 jobs, and employed 16 people. That kind of experience can change the way you see your own potential. Students who want a season like Tyler Walden’s can learn more and apply for the College Works internship today.
What else do people ask about the College Works internship?
Who is the first College Works intern to produce over $500,000?
Tyler Walden, a senior business administration major at North Dakota State University, is the first College Works intern to produce over $500,000 in revenue in a season. His branch produced $501,224 and completed 77 jobs with a team of 16 employees.
What does a College Works intern actually do?
College Works interns run their own branch. That includes sales, estimates, hiring, training, scheduling jobs, managing budgets, working with customers, and leading a team through an entire season. They receive training before the season begins and ongoing coaching from a district manager and Vice President along the way.
How does College Works support its interns?
College Works pairs every intern with a district manager who provides up-front training before the season starts and ongoing mentorship throughout it. That support covers everything from sales strategy to crew management, giving interns a resource to lean on when a branch hits a rough stretch, the way Walden’s did on his first morning of production.
What awards has College Works won?
College Works has won the Talk Award for Service Excellence for 16 consecutive years and Best of Houzz for 10 consecutive years, and was named one of Newsweek’s America’s Greatest Workplaces 2026. Those recognitions reflect the customer service standard interns like Walden are trained to meet in every branch they run.