Celebrating National Intern Day: Meet Pilot's 2026 Intern Class

This blog was written by Paige Parisi, Pilot communications team intern

In honor of National Intern Day, we’re spotlighting Pilot’s 2026 summer interns. This year's class of 43 interns represents a wide range of departments, including finance, business analytics, communications, marketing, legal, cybersecurity, transportation, product design and more.

The Pilot Internship Program

Pilot’s 10-week internship program combines professional development with hands-on experience. Interns begin and end the program by building professional skills and learning about Pilot’s business and culture as a leading energy and experience provider. During the eight core weeks, they work alongside their teams, gain real-world experience in their chosen fields and complete projects that add value to the business.

Most interns work in Pilot’s Knoxville headquarters while others are based at other Pilot offices and store locations in Texas, California and Pennsylvania. Interns are carefully selected through a competitive, multi-stage application and interview process.

At Pilot, our purpose of showing people they matter at every turn is foundational, and this includes interns, who are welcomed into the company as valued team members. Interns don’t merely observe, they contribute, gaining meaningful experience while paving their own way forward with the support, development and opportunities to make the most of every mile.

“One of the most rewarding things for me has been the ability to make a meaningful impact on the business even as an intern,” said Ethan Hoskins, intern, business process engineering.

A Rich and Rewarding Experience

Pilot interns do far more than perform administrative tasks. Throughout the summer, interns work on projects aligned with key business initiatives, giving them the opportunity to contribute meaningful work. In addition to their projects, interns take on daily responsibilities that move the business forward while helping them build skills and confidence in the workplace.

Bailey Patterson, intern, e-commerce, collected ratings and organized mobile order feedback reports for division leaders, ensuring customers’ perspectives shape decisions that improve the guest experience and drive growth.

“This internship has exceeded my expectations because I did not think I would have this much responsibility with colleagues relying on me daily,” said Patterson. “This opportunity has also allowed me to ask questions and to make connections with people that can help me to grow further.”

Projects With Real Impact

From improving safety and modernizing store technology to enhancing food offerings, Pilot interns lead projects that support important business initiatives and create meaningful impact for team members, guests and the company.

Dylan Sacksteder, intern, logistics, partnered with Pilot's logistics team to identify and address a wide range of safety concerns like sight visibility, pedestrian and vehicle traffic patterns, walking surface conditions and other operational hazards, supporting Pilot’s deep commitment to safety. Sacksteder said that through this project, he aimed to “help with the connected effort of safety-centered operations and protect the most valuable assets Pilot has, its people.”

Alex Long, intern, product design, helped modernize the checkout systems used in Pilot stores. By working to improve the technology that store team members use every day, Alex helped create a smoother checkout experience for guests and made store systems easier for employees to learn and navigate.

Kailyn Harbin, intern, food and beverage, developed long-term plans for popular food offerings, including grab-and-go items and roller grill favorites. Through her work, Kailyn helped Pilot identify new opportunities to better serve guests and continue growing the Pilot eats brand.

Leadership and Career Growth

The Pilot intern program offers professional development opportunities designed to help interns better understand the business while building workplace and leadership skills. During the summer, interns learn directly from Pilot leaders, receive career guidance and gain insight into how different parts of the company work together. These experiences help interns build valuable skills and professional connections.

CEO Adam Wright spoke with interns about his journey from being a college football player and to CEO leading Pilot. He shared lessons on leadership, career growth and personal development, and his authentic conversation left a lasting impression.

“Adam's talk had the biggest impact on me. Having the CEO care so much about interns, having each name memorized and knowing a fun fact about them, is special,” said Levi Bohne, intern, logistics.

Interns also had the opportunity to hear from members of the leadership team during a panel discussion featuring Adam Wright, Sean Marrero, Jordan Spradling, Jeremy Osterstock, Andy Lupo, Jamie Landis, Wendy Hamilton and Meghan Morgan. Leaders shared insights from their career journeys, discussed leadership and growth and offered perspectives on the future of the business. The session provided interns with valuable advice and the opportunity to learn directly from those helping shape Pilot's success.

Beyond these sessions, interns toured Pilot’s travel centers in Knoxville, Tennessee, to gain a firsthand understanding of store operations and the guest experience. Interns also participated in continuous improvement training, where they applied what they saw at the stores by making mock Pilot pizzas and explored the processes that support efficient store operations.

A Culture of Connection

In addition to professional development, the internship program also encourages personal growth and connection. Throughout the summer, interns participated in team-building activities, networking events and community engagement opportunities that helped them build relationships and make the most of their experience.

One highlight was a visit to Navitat Canopy Adventures, where interns hiked, completed a ropes course and strengthened connections with one another.

Interns also had the opportunity to participate in a volunteer day. Working alongside local nonprofit organizations, interns supported a variety of initiatives that helped address community needs and reinforced Pilot's commitment to serving the communities where team members live and work.

Experiences like these, combined with Pilot's welcoming culture, helped interns feel a strong sense of belonging.

“The most rewarding aspect of my internship experience so far is the everyday interactions with team members, the ‘good morning’ every time you walk through the door and the conversations during lunch with other interns” shared Ian Smith, intern, internal audit. “Most of all, I appreciated working together toward the same goal as a team. It made me motivated and excited to come to work every morning."

Through meaningful work, professional development, community involvement and team-building experiences, the Pilot intern program helps interns build valuable skills, lasting connections and a deeper appreciation for Pilot's culture.

“If I were to choose from any internship again, I would choose Pilot every time,” said Smith.

If you or someone you know is interested in a dynamic, educational Pilot internship, check out Pilot’s careers webpage to learn more and apply.