What comes to mind when you hear the term “construction”? Do you imagine large, hydraulic machinery? Or maybe even vast piles of aggregate and soil? While these are integral elements of the construction industry, there’s a lot more than what meets the eye. The construction industry is the socioeconomic backbone of millions of communities across the United States! I wasn’t always aware of the impact construction had on my community until I had a brief conversation with an ironworker on my college campus. I had just finished my first class of the day and was walking to the library to try to knock out some homework assignments. As I made my way to the library, I noticed the progress that was being made on the new law building on my campus. It still had a long way from completion but I walked toward the half-finished metal skeleton. A man in a bright yellow coat caught my attention; I couldn’t help but ask questions about the progress of the building. He told me he was responsible for installing the iron beams that would serve as the “frame” of the new building. A few minutes into our conversation, I learned he went to trade school right after graduating high school and talked about the benefits of choosing the right apprenticeship program for himself. I thanked him for taking the time out of his day to talk to me about his job and for helping construct the new law building. I found an empty desk at the library and began studying; I couldn’t help but continue to reflect on the conversation I had just had. Several months later, I realized construction management was probably the best choice of major for me. Construction management plays a crucial role in the organization and coordination of construction-related processes. One of the most alarming things I have learned is the sharp decline and shortage in the availability of skilled tradespeople in the past decade; this shortage is likely the result of a lack of exposure to skilled trades, along with unfair working conditions and compromised salaries. As I pursue a career in the field of construction, I hope to make a difference in how tradespeople are viewed by society; I have the goal of helping my community understand the importance of the skilled trades industry and the construction industry, as well as how both industries work together to provide new and helpful resources. While this may seem like a simple aspiration, I feel confident in saying that many others hold a similar belief and perspective as I do; that belief is that no other industry is responsible for improving and strengthening communities like the industry of construction.

What comes to mind when you hear the term “construction”? Do you imagine large, hydraulic machinery? Or maybe even vast piles of aggregate and soil? While these are integral elements of the construction industry, there’s a lot more than what meets the eye. The construction industry is the socioeconomic backbone of millions of communities across the United States! I wasn’t always aware of the impact construction had on my community until I had a brief conversation with an ironworker on my college campus. I had just finished my first class of the day and was walking to the library to try to knock out some homework assignments. As I made my way to the library, I noticed the progress that was being made on the new law building on my campus. It still had a long way from completion but I walked toward the half-finished metal skeleton. A man in a bright yellow coat caught my attention; I couldn’t help but ask questions about the progress of the building. He told me he was responsible for installing the iron beams that would serve as the “frame” of the new building. A few minutes into our conversation, I learned he went to trade school right after graduating high school and talked about the benefits of choosing the right apprenticeship program for himself. I thanked him for taking the time out of his day to talk to me about his job and for helping construct the new law building. I found an empty desk at the library and began studying; I couldn’t help but continue to reflect on the conversation I had just had. Several months later, I realized construction management was probably the best choice of major for me. Construction management plays a crucial role in the organization and coordination of construction-related processes. One of the most alarming things I have learned is the sharp decline and shortage in the availability of skilled tradespeople in the past decade; this shortage is likely the result of a lack of exposure to skilled trades, along with unfair working conditions and compromised salaries. As I pursue a career in the field of construction, I hope to make a difference in how tradespeople are viewed by society; I have the goal of helping my community understand the importance of the skilled trades industry and the construction industry, as well as how both industries work together to provide new and helpful resources. While this may seem like a simple aspiration, I feel confident in saying that many others hold a similar belief and perspective as I do; that belief is that no other industry is responsible for improving and strengthening communities like the industry of construction.

What comes to mind when you hear the term “construction”? Do you imagine large, hydraulic machinery? Or maybe even vast piles of aggregate and soil? While these are integral elements of the construction industry, there’s a lot more than what meets the eye. The construction industry is the socioeconomic backbone of millions of communities across the United States, including mine! I wasn’t always aware of the beneficial impact construction had on my community until I had a brief, but eye-opening, conversation with an ironworker on my college campus. It was a cold and bitter January morning, I had just finished my first class of the day and was walking to the library to study and try to knock out some homework assignments. As I made my way from the physics building to the library, I noticed the progress that was being made on the new law building on my campus. It still had a long way from being completed but I walked toward the large, half-finished metal skeleton that would eventually hold hundreds of students geared toward learning about the US legal system. A man in a bright yellow coat with a cup of coffee in one hand and his cell phone in the other caught my attention; I couldn’t help but ask questions about the progress of the building. He told me he and a few other men were responsible for installing the iron and steel beams that would serve as the “frame” of the new building and seemed to be enthusiastic about me asking questions. A few minutes into our conversation, I learned quite a bit about his background. He grew up in the tri-state area and went to trade school right after graduating high school; he talked about the benefits of choosing the right apprenticeship program and how grateful he was for the opportunities he was presented with. I thanked him for taking the time out of his day to talk to me about his job as an ironworker and for his effort toward constructing the new law building. I found an empty desk at the library, got out my laptop and notes from class, and began studying; I couldn’t help but continue to reflect on the conversation I had just had. At the time, I was unsure about what I wanted to major in but knew I wanted to be involved in the field of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics). After several meetings with my professors and academic advisor, I realized construction management was probably the best choice for me. Construction management plays a crucial role in the organization and coordination of construction-related projects and processes; as a construction manager, I would be responsible for ensuring the proper and safe completion of various commercial, industrial, and residential structures. With a major in construction management, I realized I could have a big impact on my community as well as the many employees within the adjacent sectors and subsectors that the construction industry completely relies on, like the ironworker who was helping with the framework of the new law building! After almost a year after the interaction I had with the construction worker on my campus, I have learned a lot about the construction industry. One of the most alarming things I have learned is the sharp decline and shortage in the availability of skilled tradespeople in the past decade; this shortage is most likely the result of a lack of education and exposure to skilled trades, along with unfair working conditions and compromised salaries. As I pursue a career in the field of construction, I hope to make a difference in how tradespeople are treated and viewed by society; I have the goal of helping my community understand the importance of both the skilled trades industry and the construction industry, as well as how both industries work together to provide new and helpful resources. While this may seem like a simple aspiration, I like to think of this goal as a seed. A seed that will eventually sprout and grow strong roots as I continue pursuing my education and gain experience through construction-based internships. While I am just one individual, I feel confident in saying that many others hold a similar belief and perspective as I do; that belief is that no other industry is responsible for improving and strengthening communities like the industry of construction. I plan on taking 18 credit hours for my spring semester (six credit hours over full-time) in hopes of graduating somewhat early. The main downside to taking so classes at the same time is the cost of said classes; I hope to receive enough scholarships to help fund the exam credit hours I will be taking so I can focus on what really matters, which is good academic performance and time management. I believe I am a viable candidate for this specific scholarship as I am currently experiencing financial need and have big plans for my career post-graduation; winning this specific scholarship would not only give me the much-needed support financially but also give me an awe-inspiring sense of academic gratification.

“I do.” These are the words I said that changed my life on September third, 2022. I was solidifying my relationship with my soon-to-be husband and entering an entirely new phase of my life at nineteen. Need a little more background info? I met my husband, Alexis Ricardo, during the fall semester of my first year of college at the University of Cincinnati, I was studying introductory engineering and he was learning English through my university’s ELS courses. We grew very close and started dating within weeks of meeting each other; it makes me smile to think about how much we found out we had in common despite having totally different backgrounds. He was a little bit taller than me with short black hair and coffee-colored skin; with a love for Latin pop music and partying with friends, it wasn’t surprising he grew up in Panamã City, the capital of Panamã. I, on the other hand, was a boy raised in semi-rural Kentucky with blue-green eyes and short dirty blonde hair. I had a strong affinity for all things related to rock and heavy metal. I look back on that first semester with a lot of nostalgia and familiarity; we spent all of our free time together exploring the city of Cincinnati. As we were visiting parks, restaurants, museums, and bookstores, we began to really learn about each other and grow together. I had felt so much pressure and anxiety about starting college and living on campus during the summer of 2021, but Alexis seemed to take all of those worries away. After a few months into our relationship, I introduced him to my family. I remember they were so visibly glad to see how happy and comfortable I was; I also remember how visibly nervous my (at the time) boyfriend was during the car ride to meet them. He spent his first Christmas away from his family with mine; despite my not-so-great Spanish, I reminded him that “Mi familia es tu familia.” I was able to talk with his family through video chat (with the help of his translating, of course) from time to time and found them to be just as supportive and understanding as my own family. Once the cold and somewhat icy months of February came around, we both felt an overwhelming sense of dread. Alexis’ session of ELS classes was coming to a close and he would have to come back to his home country of Panamã. Those final weeks we spent together were a flurry of emotions; saying goodbye to friends who had to return to their home countries, trying to cope with not being able to see each other, and the bittersweet feeling of my boyfriend finally seeing his friends, family, and country again. I remember I was a complete mess watching cross through TSA at the airport. The next few months were filled with long texts and hours of video calls; despite being full of melancholy, we were determined not to give up on our relationship. After finishing up my summer class, I was able to travel to Panamã and visit Alexis and his family. I only had eleven days, but I fell in love with the culture and the people I met. The day before I had to leave for the airport was the day Alexis prosed to me and became my fiancé, and through perseverance, dedication, and patience, my future husband was able to travel back to the United States for us to start our life together. My goal is to show that with love, anything is possible.