Giovanni Hernandez, a junior majoring in civil engineering with an emphasis in construction has been awarded a prestigious academic scholarship from the National Academy of Construction (NAC).
The NAC Scholarship Committee solicits student applicants with recommendations from NAC members, professors, and other university personnel. This year, the program was expanded to five recipients. Wayne Crew, the NAC General Secretary, says the NAC scholarship program can help “strengthen our industry is through supporting the leaders of tomorrow, our aspiring engineering and construction students.”
The scholarships provide funding for undergraduate and/or graduate students pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering or construction, or a closely related field, and who desire a career in the industry. The intent of these scholarships is to provide financial support for two semesters for deserving students who are juniors or above, have a high GPA, are advancing toward a degree in construction or a construction-related program, and demonstrate exceptional leadership as well as participate in extracurricular activities.
Hernandez, a native of Colorado, was raised in Chihuahua, Mexico, and moved to the U.S. at the age of 16 to better his life and his educational opportunities. He is a first-generation student who earned two associate degrees at Front Range Community College in Longmont before entering the College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU Boulder. He was heavily influenced by his father, who brought him to construction sites as a young boy. This early exposure to construction sparked his passion for the industry and led him to pursue a civil engineering degree.
He is expected to graduate in May 2022 and work for a general contractor with the goal of becoming a project superintendent.