31 Students Are Awarded Scholarships at Annual Banquet of The Builders’ Association
Kansas City, MO – Thirty-one outstanding students received scholarships at The Builders’ Association’s Annual Banquet, which was held at The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center on Friday, February 21, 2020. The scholarships were funded by donations to The Builders’ Association Scholarship Foundation, a nonprofit endowment fund established to support, through scholarships, the academic education of individuals who seek careers in the commercial construction industry. The students are:
DYLAN FALTER, MISSOURI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, JEFF AMMON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Dylan Falter, a senior at Missouri S&T, will graduate in May 2021 with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. Last fall he was Alumni Relations Chairman of Beta Sigma Psi National Lutheran Fraternity and Secretary of Chi Epsilon. He is a member of the AGC, ASCE, and Steel Bridge Design Team. During the past two summers, he has worked on his fraternity house as a Building Construction and Renovation Intern. He is now working as a project engineer for a commercial general contractor and would like to become a project manager.
LEONARD GREEN III, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI, GEORGE BETTS, JR. MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Leonard Green III, a junior at UCM, will graduate in May 2021 with a B.S. degree in Construction Management. He is a member of the Student Organization of Construction Managers. He participated in the ASC Region 4 Student Competition–Heavy Civil in the Fall of 2019. He holds the single season football rushing record at Sumner Academy of Arts & Sciences in Kansas City, Kansas. He was inspired to pursue a construction career by his father, Leonard Green II, a Carpenter with PCI (Performance Contracting Inc.).
MICHAEL HOFFMAN, PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY, PATRICIA A. CARROLL SCHOLARSHIP
Michael Hoffman, a senior at PSU, will graduate in December 2021 with a dual Bachelor of Science and Technology degree in Construction Management and Environmental and Safety Management. He is a member of the PSU Student Chapters of the AGC and the American Concrete Institute, and Treasurer of the PSU Student Chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals. He is on the Dean’s Scholastic Honors list. He plans to pursue a career in commercial construction with a focus on construction safety.
ANNA SCHWARTZ, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI IN COLUMBIA, CONSTRUCTION LEADERSHIP COUNCIL SCHOLARSHIP
Anna Schwartz, a senior at MU, will graduate in December 2020 with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. From November 2018 to 2019, she was President of the MU Chapter of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. She is a member of the Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honor Society. She also serves as Event Coordinator of the MU Chapter of Leading Through Literacy. Last summer, she was an intern at HNTB Corp. She would like to help improve the country’s infrastructure (particularly the transportation system), and to become a licensed P.E.
DOMINIC VELLA, MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY, CONSTRUCTION LEADERSHIP COUNCIL SCHOLARSHIP
Dominic Vella, a senior at MSU, will graduate with a B.S. in Construction Management in December 2020. He is a member of the AGC Construction Club of MSU and Sigma Chi Fraternity. During the summer of 2019, he worked for a general contractor in St. Louis as a project engineer intern on a 1.2 million square foot warehouse. While at Chaminade College Preparatory School in
St. Louis, he played right wing for their nationally-ranked soccer team. Dominic looks forward to becoming a project manager in commercial construction.
GIOVANNI CORTAVE, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA, V.S. DICARLO MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Giovanni Cortave, a sophomore at UNO, will graduate in May 2022 with a B.S. degree in Construction Management. At UNO he is a mentor in the Multicultural Engineering Program and a member of Latinos in STEM. He is also a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. Growing up, he was inspired by “the amount of hard work and passion” his uncles, who were construction Laborers, “poured into their craft every day.” Giovanni’s main career interest is to work in commercial construction.
SAM WOHLER, KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, J.E. DUNN, SR. SCHOLARSHIP
Sam Wohler, a junior at K-State, will graduate with a B.S. degree in Construction Science and Management in May 2021. He is an Executive Officer of the K-State Student Chapter of the AGC and a member of Sigma Lambda Chi construction honor society. He is also Building Committee Representative of the K-State Chapter of FarmHouse Fraternity. During the summer of 2019, he was a project engineer intern at JE Dunn Construction Company. Sam aspires to be a superintendent or project manager for a commercial general contractor.
TYSON STITES, PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY, JOHN AND JILL DUNN SCHOLARSHIP
Tyson Stites, a sophomore at PSU with a 4.0 GPA, will receive his B.S. degree in Construction Management with an emphasis in Field Management in May 2022. He was a member of Phi Eta Sigma Freshman Honor Society and is currently a member of the AGC Student Chapter of PSU. During high school, he completed 21 credit hours of construction-related courses at Hutchinson Community College. During the summer of 2019, he worked for a commercial general contractor in Columbus, Kansas. He plans to become a superintendent for a commercial general contractor.
CHANCE BRAUN, KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, FIREBAUGH CONSTRUCTION, INC. SCHOLARSHIP
Chance Braun, a junior at K-State, will graduate with a B.S. in Construction Science and Management in May 2021. He is Head Open House Chair of the K-State Student Chapter of the AGC. He is also a member of the Sigma Lambda Chi construction science honor society. He competed in the Associated Schools of Construction Region IV Construction Management Competition in 2018 and 2019. During the past two summers, he has worked for commercial general contractors. Chance plans to pursue a career in the commercial construction industry.
TYLER COLLINS, KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, FOGEL-ANDERSON CONSTRUCTION CO. SCHOLARSHIP
Tyler Collins, a junior at K-State, will graduate with a B.S. degree in Construction Science and Management in May 2021. He is Treasurer of K-State’s AGC Student Chapter and Vice President of the K-State Chapter of the Mechanical Contractors Association. He was Vice President of Healthcare Operations for the ASC Region 4 Student Competition–Specialty Division in 2019. Since August 2019, he has been a part-time Laborer and Carpenter for a commercial general contractor in Manhattan, Kansas. He aspires to work on historical renovations.
MIGUEL CUBERO NAVARRO, THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, GRAND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LLC SCHOLARSHIP
Miguel Cubero Navarro, a junior at KU, will graduate in May 2021 with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering and a minor in Music (trumpet performance). He is President of the KU Student Chapter of the AGC. He is also Expo Chair and Engineering Student Council Representative of the KU Chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. This summer, he will be a civil engineer intern for Garney Construction in the Dallas area. He is from San Jose, Costa Rica. He plans to pursue a career in construction with a focus on water and wastewater treatment plants.
BENJAMIN STEGER, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI IN COLUMBIA, JENE HAYES/HAYES DRILLING, INC. SCHOLARSHIP
Benjamin Steger, a junior at MU, will graduate in December 2021 with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering and a minor in Military Science. During college, he has held several leadership positions with the MU Army ROTC. He is a member of the Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, MU Honors College, and MU Concrete Canoe Team. During the summer of 2019, Benjamin deployed to Botswana as part of the Cadet Coalition Warfighter Program. He plans to become a U.S. Army Engineering Officer.
MATT HOLLER, THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, A.L. HUBER GENERAL CONTRACTOR SCHOLARSHIP
Matt Holler is a Civil Engineering major. He transferred to KU as a junior from the University of Wisconsin–Platteville. He and his wife are the parents of two children. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger and Airborne schools and was in the active duty Army from 2005-2019. Matt was deployed three times to the Middle East – Baghdad, Mosul and Egypt. He currently serves in the Kansas Army National Guard at Fort Leavenworth. He is interested in water infrastructure and plans to earn a P.E. license within five years after graduation.
MICHAEL TERMAN, THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, JAMES L. HUTTON, SR./WILLIAM W. HUTTON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Michael Terman, a junior at KU, will graduate in May 2021 with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. He is a member of Engineers Without Borders and Recruitment Chair of Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity. During the past two summers, he was an intern on a civil team in Lenexa with one of the largest construction and engineering organizations in North America, and he will return this summer. He aspires to be a project manager building power plants that create clean and sustainable energy. He also plans to earn a P.E. license.
LUAN VICTOR BARBOSA SANTANA, MISSOURI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, JAMES L. “SKIP” HUTTON, JR. SCHOLARSHIP
Luan Victor Barbosa Santana, a junior at Missouri S&T, will graduate in May 2022 with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. Luan hails from Curitiba, Brazil. He attended Southwestern Illinois College on a soccer scholarship, receiving his A.S. degree in May 2019. He enrolled at Missouri S&T in March 2019 as an international student athlete studying Civil Engineering and playing varsity soccer. He is a member of the Missouri S&T Student Chapter of Engineers Without Borders. He aspires to work on building construction and design.
SADIE BROCKETT, IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY, INTERNATIONAL BUILDERS – IBC, INC. SCHOLARSHIP
Sadie Brockett, a sophomore at Iowa State, will graduate in May 2022 with a B.S. degree in Construction Engineering with a Heavy/Highway emphasis. She is on the College of Engineering Dean’s List with a GPA in the top 2% of her class. She participated in the Associated Schools of Construction Competition Heavy/Highway Division during the Fall of 2019. Last summer, she was an intern with a heavy/highway contractor based in Reinbeck, Iowa. She aspires to be a project manager in the heavy/highway area of construction.
BROOKS BOIE, IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY, KELLY CONSTRUCTION GROUP, INC. SCHOLARSHIP
Brooks Boie, a freshman at Iowa State, will graduate in May 2023 with a B.S. degree in Construction Engineering with an emphasis in Building. At Iowa State, he is a member of the Engineering Student Council and the AGC Student Chapter. He is also a participant in the First-Year Honors Program. He graduated with a 4.0 GPA from Century High School in Rochester, Minnesota, where he was Captain of the Boys’ Swim and Dive Team and an Academic All-American. He is interested in design-build and intends to pursue a career in commercial construction.
ETHAN WEGNER, THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, MARY MCNAMARA/CORNELL ROOFING & SHEET METAL SCHOLARSHIP
Ethan Wegner, a junior at KU, will graduate in May 2021 with a B.S. degree in Architectural Engineering. He is Vice President of the KU AGC Student Chapter and President of the KU Golf Club. He is also a member of KU Engineers Without Borders. In 2018, Ethan led the KU Golf Club to its first National Championship appearance in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He will be a Global Facilities Services Intern with a major construction engineering company in Kansas City this summer. He aspires to be a project manager with a commercial design-build group.
CABRIAH HILLMAN, MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY, MCCOWNGORDON CONSTRUCTION SCHOLARSHIP
Cabriah Hillman, a sophomore at MSU, will graduate in December 2021 with a B.S. degree in Construction Management. She is 2019-2020 Secretary of the AGC Construction Club of MSU and Vice President of the MSU Women in Construction Club. Last summer she was an Administrative Assistant with a Kansas City provider of construction services. Growing up, she was inspired by the “drive, abilities and leadership” of her father, Chris Hillman, General Superintendent, McCownGordon Construction. She would like to work for a general contractor or large trade partner.
JUAN VICTOR MANCILLA VARGAS, IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY, PHILLIP W. MOORE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Juan Victor Mancilla Vargas, a junior at Iowa State, will graduate in May 2023 with a B.S. degree in Construction Engineering. He transferred to Iowa State from Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, where he was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. He was Captain of the Storm Lake High School varsity soccer team. Last summer, he was project manager of an asphalt crew in Sioux City. This summer, he plans to work in San Diego for a national commercial contractor. He plans on a career in construction engineering.
COLTON ORDAL, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI, MURRAY COMPANY SCHOLARSHIP
Colton Ordal, a junior at UCM, will graduate in December 2021 with a B.S. degree in Construction Management. He is President of the AGC Student Chapter at UCM. He was an offensive lineman for the Mules football team his freshman and sophomore years. He was inspired to pursue a construction career by his father, who was an operator at construction sites during Colton’s childhood, and by a Construction Management course he took from David McCandless, Ed.D., at UCM. He plans to begin his career in commercial construction as a field engineer.
RAYMOND BOOS, MISSOURI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, THE PCI SCHOLARSHIP
Raymond Boos, a senior at Missouri S&T, will graduate in May 2021 with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering and a minor in Latin American Studies for Technical Applications. He is a member of Miner Challenge and is Vice President of the Missouri S&T AGC Student Chapter. Last summer, as an engineering intern with Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha, he drove steel clips with a sledgehammer and operated a Hytracker crane. Raymond is an Eagle Scout. He plans to become a field engineer, surveyor, or owner of a consulting firm.
JOSEPH PEDROTTI, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI IN COLUMBIA, PEARCE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY SCHOLARSHIP
Joseph Pedrotti, a junior at MU, will graduate with a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering in December 2021. He is a member of Engineers Without Borders at Mizzou. Last summer, he was a Mechanical Process Intern at a major engineering company in Kansas City, and he will serve a second internship there in 2020. At Bishop Miege High School, he was a three-time Kansas 4A State Champion in football and a two-time Kansas 4A State Champion in basketball. He plans to apply his engineering, communication, and leadership skills to the construction industry.
LILY QUITNO, MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY, CARL AND JOSEPHINE PRIVITERA/MARK ONE ELECTRIC SCHOLARSHIP
Lily Quitno, a junior at MSU, will graduate with a B.S. degree in Construction Management in December 2021. She is President of the MSU Chapter of Women in Construction; Historian of the MSU Chapter of Sigma Lambda Chi International Construction Honor Society; and a member of the AGC Construction Club of MSU. She is a student worker for MSU’s Construction Management Advisory Board and worked for an electrical subcontractor last summer. She plans to begin her career as a field engineer for a general contractor.
JACK TENBRINK, PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY, RAU CONSTRUCTION COMPANY SCHOLARSHIP
Jack Tenbrink, a freshman at PSU, will graduate in May 2023 with a B.S. degree in Construction Management. He is a member of the PSU AGC Student Chapter, the Gorilla Activities Board, and the Saint Pius X Newman Club. During the past two summers, he has worked on the commercial crew for a general contracting firm in WaKeeney, Kansas. Upon graduating from PSU, he wants to pursue construction management opportunities in the Kansas City area where he can apply his strong organizational, management, and people skills.
DAVID TREECE, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI IN COLUMBIA, SENTER FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP
David Treece, a junior at MU, will graduate in May 2021 with a B.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is Vice President of the ASCE Student Chapter. Since 2017, he has served as Hull Designer and President of the Concrete Canoe Team, and he is also a member of the Mizzou Steel Bridge Team. He was an intern for a concrete subcontractor last summer and for JE Dunn Construction Company during the summer of 2018. David is an Eagle Scout. He plans to be a design engineer for a structural engineering firm and receive his P.E. license.
CAMRYN TORNQUIST, THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, GEORGE J. SHAW CONSTRUCTION CO. SCHOLARSHIP
Camryn Tornquist, a junior at KU, will receive her B.S. degree in Architectural Engineering in May 2021. She was a member of the Engineering Student Council and was elected its EXPO Registration Chair during her sophomore year. She is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority and serves as Chief Learning Officer, overseeing academics and assisting with new member education. Since May 2019, she has been a Senior Research Associate Intern in the engineering sector of an executive consulting and venture investing firm. Her dream is to build sports stadiums and arenas.
HUZAIFA HASAN, PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY, THE BUILDERS’ ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP
Huzaifa Hasan will receive his Masters in Engineering Technology with an emphasis in Construction Technical from PSU in December 2020. He earned his Bachelor of Civil Engineering from NED University of Engineering & Technology in Karachi, Pakistan. He is a member of the PSU Student Chapters of the AGC, the International Student Association, and the American Concrete Institute. From 2018 to 2019, he was Site Manager on a project in Dubai, UAE. During the summer of 2020, he plans to serve an internship with Garney Construction in water and wastewater systems.
LAINEY LEGATE, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI, THE BUILDERS’ ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP
Lainey Legate, a senior at University of Central Missouri, will graduate in December 2020 with a B.S. degree in Construction Management. She is Secretary of the Student Organization of Construction Managers at UCM. She began college as a Civil Engineering student at Mizzou. During a 2018 internship at an architecture and engineering firm in Overland Park, Lainey was exposed to project management and switched majors. She aspires to become a project manager working on vertical building projects in the Kansas City area.
DARIUS ALEXANDER, METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE, TURNER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
Darius Alexander received his Associate in Arts degree from Metropolitan Community College in May 2019. He plans to pursue a B.S. degree in Construction Management at the University of Central Missouri in the fall of 2020 and to graduate from UCM in May 2022. He has been working his way through school full-time at an insurance company. He played varsity basketball and football at Raytown Senior High School. Darius aspires to be a project manager in construction and has a particular interest in rehabilitating properties.
CORY GAMBLIN, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI–KANSAS CITY, KENNETH O. VON ACHEN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Cory Gamblin is a sophomore in the Architectural Studies program at UMKC. He will transfer to K-State in the fall of 2020 and graduate in May 2023 with a Master of Architecture. From October 2018 to May 2019 he was a Student Intern at the UMKC Center for Neighborhoods. Cory has also been involved in the Student Government Association at UMKC. His interest in the construction industry was inspired by his father, a Carpenter. After graduating, Cory plans to work for an architectural firm in the Kansas City region and become a Registered Architect.
The Builders’ Association Scholarship Foundation Board of Directors
The Builders’ Association Scholarship Foundation Board carefully evaluates the student applicants’ qualifications including career goals, leadership, involvement in student organizations and community activities, and financial need. The Scholarship Foundation Board members are:
- Phillip W. Thomas (Chairman), A.L. Huber General Contractor, Overland Park, KS
- Richard Bruce, Ph.D. (Secretary), The Builders’ Association Training Center, North Kansas City, MO
- Laura Chisholm, McCownGordon Construction, Kansas City, MO
- Doug Firebaugh, Firebaugh Construction, Inc., Overland Park, KS
- Isha Mori-Kassen, U.S. Engineering Construction, LLC, Kansas City, MO
- Scott Kelly, Kelly Construction Group, Inc., Grandview, MO
- Brandy McCombs, IBC Traffic, Inc./IBC Carpentry, LLC, Kansas City, MO
- Gil Riemann, PCI (Performance Contracting Inc.), Kansas City, MO
- James M. “Jamie” Senter, Jr., Kelly Construction Group, Inc., Grandview, MO
- Don Greenwell, The Builders’ Association, Kansas City, MO
About The Builders’ Association
The Builders’ Association is a forward-looking trade group advancing commercial construction throughout the heartland region. The Builders’ Association represents about 750 general contractor, subcontractor, supplier, and service provider member companies employing about 25,000 people. The Association promotes and delivers safety and professional/workforce training and consultation; provides business development platforms and web applications for construction plans; and delivers labor and government relations services. Brick and mortar locations include service centers in Kansas City, Jefferson City and Springfield, as well as the 100,000+ square foot Builders’ Training Center in North Kansas City.
The Association’s sister organization, an AGC Chapter currently representing 120 firms, is part of the AGC of America, the largest and oldest national construction trade association in the United States. Visit The Builders’ Association online at www.buildersassociation.com and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn.
![Builders' Association Scholarship Benefactors and Recipients, February 21, 2020](/sites/default/files/styles/max_325x325/public/2020-03/buildersassociationscholarship-benefactors-and-recipients-2-21-20.jpg?itok=0Oy-LoOt)