Though she walked away from the exam unsure about her score, construction management senior Nicole Rawlins achieved the highest score in the nation on the American Institute of Constructors’ certification exam.

“This is a difficult exam, and (it’s) not uncommon to require several attempts to pass,” Rawlins said.

”I was even telling my friends and family not to judge me harshly for whatever the results were because I had no idea how it would turn out.”

Rawlins

Rawlins said she was so doubtful about her performance on the exam that she approached it as an “exploratory mission.”

“My plan was to take it this semester to get a feel for it,” she said. “(I’d) really focus on it in the fall when I would need to pass it to graduate.”

All students in the construction management program at UH are required to pass the exam in order to receive diplomas. Many universities recommend their students to take the exam, but only the UH program makes it a requirement.

“It is a great point of pride,” Rawlins said. “It basically tells employers that all of our graduates are certified in a variety of construction principles by a national third party.”

The College of Technology program offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in the field of construction management.

Students learn how to combine construction science, engineering and business in order to learn the knowledge and skills necessary for the construction industry, according to the program’s website.

Internships are a core part of the curriculum as well, and Rawlins has used them to her advantage.

Her internship at Balfour Beatty Construction landed her a full-time job that she has had for the past two years, making her the first intern the contractor has hired that has not graduated yet.

In the future, Rawlins said she hopes to work with sustainable development and renewable energy construction techniques.

After graduation she plans on continuing her work with Beatty and building up her field experience.

“Whether creating a building or bringing infrastructure to it, construction is one of those industries that is an essential part of how we live our lives,” Rawlins said.

news@thedailycougar.com