De-constructing stereotypes

Female construction majors leave their mark on campus

By Brent VonCannon
The Collegian

Izadel Tolentino is used to being in the minority. No, not necessarily because of her Filipino ethnicity or the trouble some people have of spelling her name — she has plenty of company in those regards. Tolentino stands out as a female construction management major in an overwhelmingly male industry.

“There’s not a lot of women in the construction program, but there is enough that we can get together and do something,” said Tolentino, a junior. And on a foggy morning Nov. 18, Tolentino and about eight other female students did just that by coming out to the University Student Union and tuning up its outside furniture.

“We’re refurbishing the tables and chairs — sanding them and cleaning them so they look good,” Tolentino said. Afterwards, a coat of finish was applied to the surfaces. The work on Saturday was focused on the patio around the University Student Union, though Tolentino and her crew also plan to spruce up the benches and chairs in the downstairs courtyard.

“We want to give back to the school community,” Tolentino said. “Why not do something related to our major?”

The University Student Union is splitting the cost of the cleaning supplies with the construction management department.

Tolentino said that there are female construction majors at various experience levels and years in school. “There’s usually 20 to 25 guys in each class,” Tolentino said of her major classes.

Tolentino added her thoughts on the reasons behind the gender inequity in her field. “Women aren’t usually exposed to construction work,” Tolentino said. “When it comes time to pick a career, it’s not on their mind. At home, when dad needs help fixing something, he usually asks a guy.”

Camila Gutierrez, a junior construction management major with an architecture emphasis, said gender is inconsequential as far as she’s concerned. “As long as you do well at your job and like what you do, it makes no difference,” Gutierrez said. But she acknowledged that most females will still have to take an extra step to achieve success in the field.

Gutierrez recounted an experience she had attending a construction banquet in which she sat at a table composed primarily of males. “Everyone assumed I was a girlfriend of one of the guys,” Gutierrez said.

A construction buff since elementary school, Gutierrez has had plenty of experiences over the years with the physical aspect of construction, even helping with the building of residential, single-family homes with the University Help program, which is similar to Habitat for Humanity.

But Gutierrez noted there are a lot of aspects that go beyond labor, and particularly in her architecture emphasis. “I like a combination of being behind a drawing board and physical labor,” Gutierrez said.

Tolentino said she and Noemi Torres, president of the campus club Students in Construction, were primarily responsible for getting the female construction students together in the first place.

Tolentino said Hal Johnston, head of the construction management department, approached Torres with the idea of getting the girls together for a service project in order to gain recognition for females in the major.

Torres, a senior construction management major with an architecture emphasis, agreed that it was a good idea. Having become president of Students in Construction just this semester, Torres said one of her duties is to unite everyone in the construction program, and that includes making female members feel they’re part of something.

“With construction management, you can get into any line of work,” Torres said. “You can switch jobs and easily stay in the same major. There are so many options.”

Torres has been interested in construction since high school, where she took a drafting course. “I’m a very hands-on person,” Torres said. “I like getting in there and working hard and seeing a big outcome.”

Tolentino, who coordinated the work on Saturday, said she jumped into construction management because “I like the process of building.” After graduation, Tolentino hopes to get an internship with a construction company.

Tolentino acknowledged some drawbacks in her chosen career, such as work delays and adverse weather, but said she was up for any challenge. “You have to come up with solutions in this work,” Tolentino said.

This newly formed female construction crew plans to continue working together and recruit new members. “If this project is successful, we plan to have more of them in the future,” Tolentino said.

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