The construction industry ranks second highest in suicides in the US. I didn’t know that until I had an anxiety attack at work. I never talk about my history and daily battle with mental illness at work because the prevalent stigmatization within the field makes it feel like a weakness. Before coming to my current employer, I had been in and out of the hospital for nearly a year due to my mental illness. It felt impossible to cope with and I felt such immense shame and pain that I thought it would be better if I just wasn’t around anymore. Through no small amount of work and consistent effort, I made significant changes to my life while being blessed with an incredible support system of friends and family allowed me to stand on my own two feet again and recover to a life where I can manage my mental illness and move forward with a sense of normalcy. I felt incredibly weak and embarrassed that day, until the superintendent told me about the data gathered on mental illness in construction and I felt both surprised and less alone. I felt motivated to do something to change that data. Building design has been significantly correlated with mental health. I discovered a fascination with conservational and innovative architecture as well as its effects on the psychological wellbeing of the residing society. Namely the restorative accomplishments on Cairo’s historic street, Al Moez, by UNESCO and ICOMOS, but I have started educating myself on other heritage sites and preservation methods as well. I knew that the primary way I learn is hands-on. I also knew I did not have the stability in my life due to my mental health struggles to return to formal schooling right away. So I threw myself into carpentry with pure ambition under my wings when I didn’t know a jigsaw from a worm drive. The skill set this career has provided me with has allowed me to be involved on projects that keep historic preservation in mind. My current company is based in Fort Collins, Colorado and has completed a number of projects in the city’s historic Old Town. Part of what makes this area historic is that a local, Harper Goff, who was so enamored with its structure that he based the design of Disneyland’s Main Street USA off of it during his employment with Walt Disney. With specific attention to which parts of the building were to be preserved and untouched by new construction, my team were able to convert a historic building in Old Town Fort Collins into an ice cream parlor where visitors along with locals will be able to enjoy a cool treat while touring a piece of America’s cultural history.. I have been motivated to continue my education formally and advance in my career so that I can be in a position to implement build designs and decisions that are congruent with this mission. I believe the best place to start is by gaining my certificate in construction management, a task that has always felt too daunting to take on until I was able to take care of my mental health by seeking out resources to do so, and finding employment with a company that takes care of its employees. I would carry over mental health awareness discussions to encourage employees to seek help. A contributing factor to depression in the industry is chronic pain and fatigue. I have found a tremendous turn around in those symptoms in myself through the regular practice of yoga and that is something I would add to the start or end of the work day. We are always told in safety talks how important the practice of stretching before physical tasks is, but I have never actually seen it done. Competence increases confidence. I have to believe that if I just keep writing and applying I will eventually win a scholarship. I have to believe that when I win a scholarship I will successfully excel in this certificate program. I have to believe that when I successfully complete the certificate program that I will fulfill the purpose I have created for myself to implement build designs and decisions that have been correlated with mental and physical wellness. I have to believe that when I have gained this management experience I will have the competence to create my own construction business that will prioritize fostering an environment congruent with the mental wellness of its employees and I believe that once I have implemented successful tools for mental health it will echo throughout the industry, which currently ranks second highest in suicides. I have wrestled with my mental illness and come out on top. I emerged in a field previously unfamiliar to me with complete competence and reliability. I have pushed boundaries by doing so as a woman in an industry where women make up 4.3% of trades workers. I am currently twenty-seven years old and I feel behind in terms of where I believe I should be at this age in order to accomplish my goals. Battling mental illness can have that effect. I’m ready for change. I hope I can find people who place the same belief in my ability to do that as I have found for myself.

The only thing that matters is the task in front of you. I can always leave a project with the satisfaction of knowing that I put my heart and soul into it as I do with everything I do. This is why it was so heartbreaking to put my higher educational pursuits on hold while navigating my way out of an abusive relationship and my corresponding struggles with mental health. My initial career path was related to healthcare. That is just what I knew, having grown up with a mother who was paralyzed. When I left school I wondered, “what am I to do with myself now? I don’t know how to do anything else,” and I sat myself down, asked myself what my core values and passions were and what career path they aligned with, and came up with a plan. I discovered a fascination with conservational and innovative architecture as well as its effects on the psychological wellbeing of the residing society. Namely the restorative accomplishments on Cairo’s historic street, Al Moez, by UNESCO and ICOMOS, but I have started educating myself on other heritage sites and preservation methods as well. I knew that the primary way I learn is hands-on. I also knew I did not have the stability in my life to return to formal schooling right away. So I threw myself into carpentry with pure ambition under my wings when I didn’t even know what a jigsaw was. The skill set this career has provided me with has allowed me to be involved on projects that keep historic preservation in mind. My current company is based in Fort Collins and has completed a number of projects in the city’s historic Old Town. Part of what makes this area historic is that a local, Harper Goff, who was so enamored with its structure based the design of Disneyland’s Main Street USA off of it during his employment with Walt Disney. With specific attention to which parts of the building were to be preserved and untouched by new construction, my team were able to convert a business in Old Town Fort Collins into an ice cream shop where visitors along with locals will be able to enjoy a cool treat while touring a piece of America’s cultural history. I believe in ICOMOS and related organizations’ mission to preserve cultural heritage sites across the world and here at home. I have been motivated to continue my education formally and advance in my career so that I can be in a position to implement build designs and decisions that are congruent with this mission. I believe the best place to start is by gaining my certificate in construction management. I have become addicted to the experience of claiming victories and achieving goals I set for myself. I became entirely self-reliant after successfully removing myself from an environment of abuse. I have wrestled with my mental illness and come out on top. I emerged in a field previously unfamiliar to me with complete competence and reliability. I have pushed boundaries by doing so as a woman in an industry where women make up 4.3% of trades workers. On my path of success I have envisioned another goal to gain project and construction management expertise so that I can develop a company and collaborate with organizations who share the mission that got me through it all – the preservation of cultural heritage.

When I was watching Little House on the Prairie as a kid, I never thought it would do anything for my life except make people think I was a little weird for watching an older and no longer popular show. But there I sat, eating popcorn and a sliced Red Delicious apple watching “The Craftsman”; I was enthralled. Mr. Singerman taught me that a true craftsman does not sacrifice quality for the sake of time. That one does not do it for praise or to put oneself above others and has a sense of humility. That the only thing that matters is the task in front of you. All of these lessons aligned with my core values so heavily. I can always leave a project with the satisfaction of knowing that I put my heart and soul into it as I do with everything I do. Mr. Singerman also taught me that as a craftsman you must strive to return as you receive. This is why I have chosen to volunteer and found my way to an employer that values community action as well. It is also why I have been educating myself on the effects of building design and preservation on the psychological wellbeing of the residing society and have been motivated to continue my education formally and advance in my career so that I can be in a position to implement build designs and decisions that have been correlated with mental and physical wellness. Mr. Singerman’s way with a chisel has been locked in as a core memory since I met him. I always knew deeply that this was the type of work I wanted to make a life out of but never saw myself as the type of person who was capable of the serious business craftsmanship entails. I took a few side quests along the way but eventually found myself in the field and found great confidence in the competence that my teachers provided me with and have since felt the desire to pass it on to everyone who will allow me to, which is why I found great joy in participating in the Boys and Girls Club Summer of Discovery program. Those we teach will be the ones to craft our coffins for us and plant trees in our place after we pass, as Mr. Singerman’s apprentice did for him. I want to create the infrastructure for them to be able to do so and to do so masterfully. Should I be chosen to receive this scholarship, I will be one step closer to achieving this dream.