February 28, 2023 Student Org Spotlight: UW-Madison Construction Club Written By: Elyse Miramontes Departments: Civil & Environmental Engineering Categories: Students|Undergraduate Elyse Miramontes, a junior studying civil and environmental engineering, sheds light on what Construction Club has to offer students, alumni, and industry professionals alike. What is Construction Club? Construction Club fosters connections between UW-Madison engineering students and the design and construction industry. We focus on networking with industry professionals and reaching out to the community through construction-related activities. We hope to expose students to the world of construction and spark interest in young students who want to see what the world of construction has to offer. Is Construction Club only for civil engineering students? Many of our members are studying civil engineering, but we also have members that are in mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, and more! The club is a great way to get insight into the real world of construction, gain experience, and network with professionals to jump start your career! The UW Construction Club leadership team recently put their skills into action by helping the Habitat for Humanity build homes in Sun Prairie. Community service projects are one of the many ways students in Construction Club gain hands-on experience. What activities and events does Construction Club offer? We meet at least once a month and switch off between site tours, speaker events, and social events. During our speaker events, industry professionals from different general and sub-contracting companies come in to talk about recent projects or cool technology they’re using. We also hold a few annual events, like Evening with Industry, which brings employers and students together in a round-robin style conversation. This allows students a chance to speak with employers in a casual setting and builds bonds between them and industry professionals. Several students have obtained an internship, co-op, or full-time position through attending this event in the past. We also volunteer for different organizations like Habitat for Humanity-Dane County and Kids Building WI. Why did you join Construction Club, and what makes you stay? I joined because I had interest in construction as I started my degree in civil engineering. Since then, I have declared the construction management option with my degree, and I love all the field experience and networking opportunities I have gained as a member of the club. I overall wanted to gain more real-world experience, which is something that not every class can give you. Construction Club members Colin Schiesl (left), Lauren Welker (center), and Elyse Miramontes (right) gather at the 2023 NECA-Wisconsin Chapter’s Winter Meeting. This is one of many networking and professional development opportunities available to club members. I stay in the club because I have gained so many friends through it, and I love participating in all the activities we host. I love seeing other kids find a passion in the industry, just like I have, and seeing them have fun with construction. It is a niche interest in college, but everyone that is in it truly loves it. I think this club stands out more than other clubs because it isn’t just based on what your major is. You can be in any major and be interested in a career in construction, whether that is engineering, business, or anything in between. What upcoming events should students consider attending? Our annual banquet at Union South on April 21 is free for students and registration is open through March 31! Attending the banquet is great way to get connected with industry professionals, whether you are looking for an internship or not. We are also hosting several speaker events and site tours this semester. Look out for announcements and emails for event dates and times. Students are welcome to join any meeting we have posted around Engineering Hall, on Instagram, or shared through external announcements! You can join our email list or let us know if you have any questions at uwconstructionclub@gmail.com. How can alumni or industry help support the group? We’re always looking for new ideas and opportunities to get alumni and industry professionals involved with the club whether that is proposing an idea for a social networking event, coming in to speak about a cool project, or inviting students on a job site tour! Please contact us to explore any of these options or an idea of your own. Also, our annual Construction Club Banquet is coming up on April 21 at Varsity Hall in Union South at 5 PM. Register online by March 31 to join us for a night of networking with students, faculty, and construction industry professionals!