Luis Lopez
My name is Luis Lopez. I am twenty two years old, and I am a full time construction worker and a full time college student studying construction management. As I wrap up this fall semester, I have been thinking about how much my classes line up with what I do every day on the job. Balancing work and school has been tough, but it has also shown me how valuable it is to understand both the field side and the STEM side of construction.
On the job I get to work with all kinds of tasks like flying steel, pouring concrete, installing helical and push piers, framing walls, laying out openings, and reading plans. These experiences taught me early on that accuracy, communication, and teamwork matter more than
anything. In my classes we do labs on things like concrete volume, water to cement ratio, and material behavior. When I sit in class and learn the science or math behind something I already do at work, it actually helps the material make sense and stick with me.
Right now my impact is pretty simple. I just try to show up, work hard, and keep getting better at both school and construction. I want people to see that you do not need to come from a traditional academic background to be successful in STEM. You can come from a job site, pick up a hard hat in the morning, and still do well in college if you put in the effort. My long term goal is to take everything I am learning and use it to help build projects that will last and make life better for the people who use them.
