College of Technology undergraduate Maria Standley was awarded a prestigious scholarship by the National Academy of Construction (NAC) in the amount of $2500 for the Academic Year 2021-2022. Maria is a Junior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management with a minor in Business Administration.
NAC awards the scholarship to students who demonstrate not only academic achievement, but also a drive to be leaders in their field. This year, Maria led the way in establishing a Women in Construction student organization at UH. She hoped to build a support network to help female students as they enter industry and to position them to flourish and thrive in their careers.
“Since the industry is mainly male dominated, it is important for women to have leadership roles in the industry. Women can offer alternative ideas and solutions to issues that may arise. My goal is to become a successful leader to demonstrate that women can reach success not only in the construction industry, but any industry.”
Dr. Lingguang Song, Chair of the Department of Construction Management, says that Maria is not a traditional student, in that she seeks to apply what she learns in the classroom. In addition to her studies, Maria works full time in the construction field, actively striving to grow her skills.
Maria plans to graduate in Fall of 2022, and then hopes to continue her studies to obtain a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and pursue a Master’s in Business Administration.