Trevor Stanley is a Building Construction student graduating in the Fall of 2016. He is from Franklin Co., VA and will also be graduating with a minor in Real Estate. He has been offered and accepted a job with Independence Excavating.
The Program:
Why Building Construction at VT?
When I came to VT I was in University Studies planning to go into Electrical Engineering, but after my first year I decided Building Construction was a better fit for me.
What organizations have you been involved in during your time here?
ASC Competitions, Heavy Civil (Fall 2015-16), Pre-Construction Team (Spring 2016), Constructor’s Consortium where I was a Treasurer for one year and the Vice President for two years.
Have you received any awards for projects worked on?
I received one this past spring recognizing outstanding student service- the 2016 MLSoC Student Service Award.
Internships:
Date of internship:
Summer 2016
Company of internship:
Independence Excavating
Location:
Cleveland, OH with work in Brandywine, MD
What work does this company do?
Major site work and site prep. They are a large-scale commercial company.
Why did you apply for/chose this internship?
My hometown is small so the opportunity to go to Cleveland was a big draw for me.
Position:
I worked as a field engineer as well as in their office headquarters, but ultimately I want to be a project engineer.
Responsibilities/Projects Worked On:
In the first summer I helped with bids on projects, the second summer I got to actually be a field engineer on the project I helped to put bids on. That summer I did quantity calculations, material tracking, etc.
How relevant was it to any of your coursework?
It was all relevant. I got to see so many different applications of what I learned in class.
What did you get out of this experience? How will it help you in the long run?
I realized I know I don’t want to work for a really large company. However, I know I want to move to where the work is. The friendships I made this summer were really important. The experience was invaluable. I met a lot of good people and I will be able to use that later on.
Overall Thoughts:
What has been your general impression of the BC program?
How tight knit of a community it is, everyone is nervous on the first day of freshman year, but you get to know everyone personally in this major because we work together on so many projects. We have a class called Integrated that puts us all together. We get to know people from all different years through this class.
What have you learned during your time at VT and how has your experience here shaped your future?
One of the biggest things is to cherish the relationships you make. It’s so important to meet and talk with many different people to see what their ideas are.
What do you want to do after graduation? Do you have a job yet?
I’ve always wanted to take over my dad’s business, that wouldn’t be until ten or fifteen years after graduating, but coming right out of school I want to work for a stable company that gives you the opportunity to move up the ranks.
What advice would you give current or prospective students?
Do it. Definitely. For new students, if you enjoy the idea of creating something that will stand the test of time this is it. It’s also just a really fun job.
Any other thoughts?
Thank you to every professor for always being available. Dr. Goldsmith has been like a mentor to me. I’ve worked in the build lab with him for two and a half ye
