Lizeth Reyes-Becerra

The world of residential construction inspires me through the discovery of new and old designs and through cultural and innovative exploration. There are multiple ways to design a place called “home,” and seeing the beauty of every theme and culture is aweing. Seeing how these designs interlock and create new ideas amazes me every time. Residential construction is about building homes for families and helping them with layouts and designs that best fit their needs and wants within budgeted constraints. The most challenging part is designing and building within a given budget. One must be creative, innovate, and realistic all at the same time.

I am from Erie, Pa., and I attended Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy for high school. When we were looking into colleges to attend, there was a list of 50+ posted in the hallway, but I never felt like any of them were “the one.” I knew I wanted to be in construction management, but most institutions I found were all online, or book theory and lecture classes. I knew I wanted a full hands-on experience as that is how I learn best. When graduation came around I was still not 100% on any, so I took a gap year to find the right fit. After several weeks of continuous research, I found Penn College online and as soon as I read the major description, course profile, and description on each course, I knew Penn College was “the one.”

Be a sponge and allow yourself to soak in as much knowledge as you can! Professors will guide you, but how much you truly know about a subject/topic will ultimately be up to you by how thoroughly you research and learn on your own. Being the student that goes above and beyond on assignments might seem crazy, but I promise you it is worth it in the end when you unlock your true potential! You are your own worst enemy, the only one stopping you is yourself. So, go and make it happen. You got this!

This summer I interned with PulteGroup Inc., in Austin, part of the Central Texas Division. Since I had already interned with the company the previous summer, I was able to carry manager responsibilities with my team’s trust. My position title for the company was “construction intern,” but I was acting as a fill-in manager. I verified houses were ready for city inspections, reorganized and confirmed daily schedules, inspected each task once completed to ensure quality workmanship, and ensured everything was running as smoothly as possible within an efficient timeframe. My favorite part of working for the third largest home production company in America has been the positive and fun work culture. I have worked quite a few fast-paced jobs and I did not always have a supportive management team. Every employee at PulteGroup Inc. was helpful and supportive with any task and produced answers or solutions within the same hour or 24 hours later. Everyone looked out for each other and made sure to make someone smile during their stressful days. Work culture means a lot to me. You spend most of your week at work, so finding that “second home/family” is extremely valuable to me.

I love answering this question because it truly shows how much the staff at Penn College cares about your success. My first semester of college I had Levon Whitmyer as my professor for Construction Materials & Applications I. That semester also happened to be Whitmyer’s last semester as a professor at Penn College before he changed his career path and became a construction manager for PulteGroup in Austin, Texas. One year later he encouraged me to apply for an internship as a sophomore, and I did. However, I didn't think much of it because I was still learning about the construction industry. Not even four hours after the final interview, I got the job offer as a construction intern and knew I had to take the opportunity. It was a tremendous change, but I am very happy I took that leap of faith because working for PulteGroup was truly life-changing and helped me build confidence in my work. A few months after my internship was over, the vice president of construction told me I was the first sophomore they took a chance on for an internship. Typically, they hire students in their junior year, but they saw potential in me. Hearing him say those words truly meant a lot to me, and when you find a workplace that is uplifting, understanding, and helpful, it is important to treasure it.

The most impactful moment in my internship was a meeting between my construction team and a specific trade contractor with whom we were experiencing ongoing issues. The company's general manager requested a meeting with me to address my questions and concerns. I agreed and stated that the best way to approach these concerns was to conduct a meeting with the other construction managers in the neighborhood as well as the warranty managers. The meeting was my responsibility and I guided the discussion; as an intern that was a bit nerve-wracking. In the middle of the meeting, the area manager and the vice president of construction walked in to see the progress of the discussion. Thankfully, the meeting was successful and extremely productive from beginning to end, and my whole team was there to witness the success. The trade’s general manager thanked me personally, as he was not aware of the ongoing issues. It is very unusual for an intern to take on such a role and conduct such an imperative meeting. I am immensely proud of myself for taking the initiative and just diving in because it was a necessary step for the company and my personal profession.

Create your resume, submit it, and believe in yourself. Employers are not just looking at what skills you have typed out on the paper; they are looking for interpersonal skills. Someone with honesty and integrity. You may not know everything, but your willingness to learn and grow as a team member means a lot. The sooner you start the better off you will be! Start off small for a local company, and every summer aim higher. Give your all on every assignment as if every paper and presentation were being turned in to a client. The more you apply yourself in class, the more knowledge you will receive. When a professor sees your work ethic and admires it, there may be a chance you are recommended to work for a large company that could boost your career opportunities!

This is my third year being president of the Penn College Construction Association, and it has taught me quite a few things. Working with college students is tough. I definitely had to learn how to become more patient. Not just for others, but for myself as well. There are so many moving parts when taking a leadership role, and it becomes difficult to balance school, work, extracurriculars, and a national competition. Time management was my biggest life lesson throughout my leadership role. I like to think of myself as a positive leader. I love to encourage others and appreciate their work. Mistakes will always be made, but how they are handled makes the biggest difference.

Currently I am looking forward to two of my largest projects, the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) student competition and my capstone project next semester. Both are “realistic” projects where you challenge yourself to think like an actual homebuilder in the industry. The national competition is my No. 1 project because I get to compete against other universities where students are just as passionate about building homes as me. There will also be hundreds of construction industry representatives at the event, so getting my name and skills out there is also a tremendous benefit. It also helps to show that a small college like ours is just as powerful and knowledgeable as large universities. After that project is over, I will be able to focus more on my capstone project, which will allow me to improve and fine-tune my skills even more.

In my third semester I took a design studio class in the architecture program to challenge my design building skills. Although it was incredibly challenging, it forced me to think as a designer and not just a builder. Gaining a new perspective in my industry was an advantage because I could finally understand the skills architects bring to the industry. I didn't get the best grade in the class, but it didn't matter because I gained valuable skills and understanding that helped me become a better construction manager/builder. I also traveled abroad twice and opened myself to experiences that changed my viewpoint on sustainable cities and buildings. Now I understand how green buildings work, how building designs may impact cities, how to effectively manage a team and build homes, and how to manage my own construction business after graduation.

My current plan is to work under a company for 2-5 years and continue to learn about the construction industry under the direct guidance of others, as they have the most up-to-date knowledge of being on-site. Throughout those 2-5 years, I will be creating my personal business plan to remodel residential and small commercial projects. Once I feel confident and fully competent, I will open my business and put the plan into action. I want to create spaces that are not only beautiful to look at, but environmentally friendly in the long term, eventually helping communities become greener and more efficient. Ultimately, I would love to work with architects and engineers to improve urban living conditions throughout communities. This could be by creating new affordable housing projects such as apartments, funding amenities and centers for the community. Overall, the goal is to improve the quality of life for the low-middle class. My title in a company is not important, but the impact I create is.

Thank you so much for taking the chance on me and helping my dreams become a reality. There are many individuals who do not have the opportunity or privilege to attend college due to financial stress, and I very easily could have been one of them. I was not able to take out loans with my parents as they were not permanent residents at the time that I was applying for loans. Through various scholarships throughout my academic career, I was able to pursue an education and travel across the country to experience life-changing internships. When I felt like I was not enough, I always remembered that multiple individuals out there invested in my education and saw the potential in me, and I could not give up on them because they knew I could do it.