Blog

August 1, 2025 - HighGround was pleased to have four interns with us this summer. We recently sat down, fireside, to learn more about our Minerals Management intern, Connor Clearfield, and his experience working at HighGround.

Where are you from? What school do you attend, and what are you studying?

I’m from Rockwall, Texas. I am about to start my senior year at Texas Tech University, and I’m majoring in energy commerce.

What brought you to HighGround?

I went to the career fair at Texas Tech, and I stumbled across HighGround’s table, where I learned they were offering an internship in their Oil and Gas department.  I talked to them, and I really enjoyed talking to [HR Director] Carol [Nichols]. So, we set up an interview, and during that I found out HighGround works with Pine Cove. I grew up going to Pine Cove, so I thought that was a neat connection. Overall, it sounded like a really cool opportunity to do something a little different, but still within my major.

What all did you do in your time here?

I had a few big projects I worked on. My biggest project was rewriting the onboarding process for new mineral assets. I scheduled meetings with all the teams to see how they were involved in onboarding, then I put everything together to make the new process. I also did a lot of day-to-day work like well matching research, and I shadowed the whole team to see what their roles look like within the Oil and Gas team.

What have you learned in your time here? What’s been your biggest takeaway?

My biggest takeaway is to always keep furthering my education in the oil and gas industry. A big thing Kim [Springfield] taught me this summer was to always continue looking for little ways to learn and gain that extra knowledge that might help you in the future. Not necessarily through getting more degrees, but through seminars and keeping up with the news. It gives you an advantage to have that knowledge.

What is a favorite moment from your time at HighGround?

My favorite activity was going to the escape rooms for all-staff team building. My team was Joseph [Isbell], Joe [Hancock] and Karen [Wright]. I don’t work with them day-to-day because we’re in different departments, so it was cool to get to know them more. I’m now more comfortable with them around the office and we talk a lot more. It was a great team building exercise.

We focus on strengths at HighGround and utilize the CliftonStrengths assessment. What are your top five strengths?

My strengths are competition, learner, achiever, responsibility and focus.

I thought it was helpful for teamwork. Everyone has their own strengths, so when you’re trying to do a big project or a team project, it can help you break down what everyone does best in the team and delegate tasks from there. You can be more efficient and dial in more with projects and work when you know what everyone is good at it. It’s a good tool to have.

Which of the HighGround core values resonates most deeply with you and why?

Servant-Hearted and Client First. Servant-Hearted is important because I think that’s a very rare thing to see in business today. Everyone is chasing the next dollar, and I think that’s a very toxic side of business right now. People try to cut corners and don’t always care what the client wants. I think the servant-hearted part really shows the caring aspect of HighGround; we’re not here to cut corners and make a dollar, we’re actually here to help people. That’s a really cool thing to see, especially in the oil business, where you don’t get to see that a lot.

Same with Client-First. There are so many businesses and people that are trying to just make the most money. So, seeing HighGround’s client-first perspective is great because they’re taking care of their clients first. It’s good to see that it’s not just about money, it’s about helping people.   

How do you like to spend your time? What are your hobbies or passions?

My main hobby is golf. I also love hanging out with my friends, my girlfriend, my dog and my family.

What does the future hold for you?

First, I’m going to finish my degree at Texas Tech. I’ll get my RL (Registered Landman) certification as well. Then, I’ll start applying for jobs. I’m not quite sure where I’d like to end up, but I’ll definitely keep working in oil and gas, and I look forward to seeing where it takes me.