CDM Smith and its employees are proud to donate $7,117.50 in proceeds from its annual intern T-shirt fundraiser, along with a company match, to support the Friends of Caritas Cubana. The 2026 contest winner is Nyliam Gazze, a fourth-year student at Virginia Tech pursuing a bachelor’s in architecture. She spent the summer interning at CDM Smith’s Maitland, Florida office.
This annual fundraiser invites summer interns to create unique designs that embody CDM Smith’s work. Driven by the firm’s longstanding culture of giving back, the winning design is made available for employee purchase with all profits donated to a charity of the winning intern’s choice.
The best part of the internship at CDM Smith was the connections I was able to build with the team in such a short amount of time. The level of involvement in projects allowed me to feel like a valued member of the team rather than just an intern. The most valuable aspects of my internship were the numerous resources available to support the professional growth of the next generations.
Nyliam Gazze, bachelor's architecture intern
Additionally, Nyliam shared, “I picked Friends of Caritas Cubana, because it has a personal meaning to me. My mom is from Cuba, and my grandma still lives there. The country is currently facing many challenges, so I wanted to be able to have a small impact on improving the lives of the Cuban people.”