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School of Construction and Design Hosts Summer Camp,
Offering Mississippi High School Students Insights into In-Demand Career Fields
More than 30 high school students from across the state converged on The University of Southern Mississippi’s Hattiesburg campus to learn how they can build a rewarding and impactful future for themselves through a unique residential camp experience hosted by the Southern Miss School of Construction and Design.
The inaugural Future Builders In-Training Construction and Design Summer Camp offered students access to the school’s new laboratory space, opportunities to engage with its faculty, students, and alumni, and valuable exposure to the diverse opportunities available in the construction industry. Students were able to explore potential careers in the high-demand fields of construction management, architectural engineering technology and interior design.
Participants interacted with industry professionals and alumni of the School of Construction and Design, gaining insights into their careers and fields of specialization; visited an ongoing construction project near campus, the Jones Company Headquarters at Midtown, along with a concrete batch plant; and learned how to use state-of-the-art power tools and build small structures in the school’s new hands-on learning lab – an experience that fostered teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving skills, while experiencing campus life by staying in Southern Miss residence halls.
Dr. Emre Bayraktar, professor and director of the USM School of Construction and Design, hailed the camp as “a tremendous success.”
“We received more than 65 applications for the camp, which demonstrates the strong interest among high school students to explore careers in construction,” Dr. Bayraktar said. “Industry partners enthusiastically supported the camp, providing invaluable insights and resources to enhance the participants’ experience. Given the positive feedback and high demand, we believe this camp has the potential to become a signature summer event for our School.
“We are immensely grateful to the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) for funding this project and supporting our initiative,” Dr. Bayraktar further noted. “Their support has been instrumental in making this vision a reality and helping us create a lasting impact on the lives of young students interested in construction and design.”
Dr. Bayraktar believes the school’s new cutting-edge construction practices laboratory was pivotal in the summer construction camp experience, offering a unique opportunity to gain foundational insights into careers in construction and design while representing a significant milestone in enhancing the hands-on learning environment for the students.
He expressed appreciation for the faculty, staff, students and construction industry partners and alums supporting the camp, including Kemit Spears, camp director; Carlos Sterling, organization/communication; Johnie May, hands-on learning lab; School of Construction student chaperones Vivi Vo, Alex Booth, Manish Reddy Goli and Dolapo Adegbuvi; and representatives and USM alumni from the following firms: AnderCorp; Brasfield & Gorrie, Codaray Construction, DeWalt, Interior Elements, Lewis Landry Germany Architects, MMC Materials, R3SM, Verb Architecture, and Yates Construction.
“We’re grateful to all these wonderful faculty, staff, students, alumni and construction professionals who shared their insights with our campers and served as inspiring role models,” Dr. Bayraktar added. “The hard work and passion of these individuals is truly inspiring.”
The opportunities for expanding the program in the future, potentially offering multiple sessions to increase capacity to allow for more students to participate excites Dr. Bayraktar. “This will enable us to reach a wider audience and provide even more young people with the opportunity to learn about the diverse and rewarding careers available in the construction industry.”
Learn more about the USM School of Construction and Design, including its degree programs and the work of its faculty, at: https://www.usm.edu/construction-design/index.php.
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