As we left the show, I remember thinking to myself... “this was all so worth it.” Each member of our group was not only grateful to experience this entire gallery of residential home design, but excited that they could be involved in something that interested them, and I was able to make that happen.
I am Wentworth’s current president of the National Association of Home Builder’s Student chapter, and although our club has had a rough start in the past couple years, I truly believe we are moving forward as a group. This year, seven of our interested members took on a challenging project called the Residential Construction Management Competition, which entailed traveling to Orlando, Florida for the International Builder’s Show. In the past two years, the club was able to get funding in easier ways than we did this year… but after a long process of reaching out to sponsors and receiving a travel scholarship, I was finally able to assist in making our participation in this competition a reality for the team. With a background of presidential positions during high school and my outgoing attitude with professionals in the area, our faculty advisor at the time believed I could be really beneficial for the club, and so far I think I’ve done well trying to meet those expectations. With our new advisor as of this semester, we will hopefully be engaging in the community with various hand-on building events in the area.
The IBS was our most recent event, all of us just arriving back on campus last week. The impact I was able to make on the other members by helping to make this trip happen was so rewarding. I was able to work closely with another team member who had gone on a similar trip in the past in order to raise all the necessary funds and make all the required reservations. As a typically organized individual with a planning-oriented personality, I had a great deal of satisfaction when the itinerary and its details were finally settled.
Our team was very appreciative of the opportunity to present our project to a panel of judges at the event, as well as being able to experience the IBS as a whole. Two full wings of a convention center were packed with companies, models, and representatives that displayed all types of residential design products. We were able to learn about the products as well as make connections with professionals. The looks on our students faces while they enjoyed the time we spent there made me feel as though I had done something so worthwhile.
This not only benefitted the students on the trip, but will in effect benefit others around them as well. It will enable them to teach others about what they learned, within the Wentworth community and even in their future work environments. Giving students this opportunity to interact and learn from professionals will hopefully prove valuable throughout the duration of their future careers, entirely.
