Name: Alex B.
Company: O’Rourke Wrecking
Title/Position: Project Engineer
Years working in construction: 3
What was your path to a career in construction? I attended Purdue University, where I studied construction Management. My sophomore year I still wasn’t sure what concentration I wanted to go into until I had an impactful lecture on disaster response and demolition. I was able to get in contact with O’Rourke and complete 2 summer internships with them. I gained valuable experience through hands on learning in the field, which is something not all internships can offer. From those summers, I was able to solidify my decision to go into demolition. Fast forward to this past May, I was excited to graduate with a full time offer as a project engineer with O’Rourke.
What do you like most about working in construction? You can see physical progress being made every day, and I find it to be really rewarding. When I’m on site I always try to take pictures of the activities going on, and it’s amazing to see the changes that occur in just a few days!
This year’s theme is “Keys to the Future.” What is the key to the future of construction in Ohio? I think it is imperative that as an industry we continue to promote what we do to upcoming generations. Increasing exposure in the classrooms will, in turn, open young minds to new opportunities that they may not have been aware of.
If you were to give young women (high schoolers) advice about beginning a career in construction? Don’t sit back on the sidelines. Oftentimes, the best way to learn is by doing, and that can’t happen unless initiative is taken. Never be afraid to ask questions because you’re losing out on an opportunity to learn and improve.
