Two teams from ESD now Stantec and Stantec join a total of 600 Women Build volunteers in this year’s effort by Habitat for Humanity to construct houses for Chicago women who might not otherwise be able to afford a new home. (Learn more about Habitat for Humanity Chicago’s Women Build.)
Well into the year-long program, four students from Cristo Rey Jesuit High School reflect on the Corporate Work-Study Program aimed at providing college-bound students with a professional work experience.
Alessandro with be graduating in 2023 and says the work-study program brings him one step closer to achieving his goal to become an engineer.
Alessandro says “ESD has taught me things the average high school student doesn’t know. For example, Revit is a tool that MEP designers use daily. Having the opportunity to work with these tools like an engineer is more than a dream come true.”
Junior Angelica plans to study architecture while pursuing a real estate license. She says working at ESD has helped to improve and develop her intellectual skills. Angelica says “The creativity of the people I have worked with and their mission to create environmental change has inspired me to adopt an innovative mindset. Most importantly, I’ve learned to Adapt. Imagine. Change.”
Sophomore Jose calls his time with the company inspirational. According to Jose, “It has motivated me to keep following the path I had in mind before I joined ESD.” Jose says that path is to find a career that is creative in the architecture or technology fields.
A career in law enforcement or possibly nursing are future options being considered by Freshman Andrea. And while the two have little to do with engineering, she still considers her time at ESD valuable. She says “Over the course of my first two weeks as an intern, I learned about the components of a workstation and how to take it apart and put it back together. I learned about laptops and how to image an MS Surface to both Windows 10 and 11.” Andrea says she is thankful for the people she’s working with ESD’s information technology (IT) group.
Cristo Rey offers a Catholic, college preparatory education and professional work experience to students from Spanish-speaking families with limited financial means. Many former high school interns with ESD have continued the relationship through college with some becoming full-time employees post-graduation.
Participating in the work-study program demonstrates ESD’s support of our community and efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion as part of the company’s overall mission to improve society through the built environment.
To find out more about ESD and its culture, visit our website.
