Page 6 - Women Pushing Dirt June 2021
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suspecting that on the most important decision helped the nonprofit, which brings medically
of her life, she had made the wrong choice. appropriate meals to homebound patients, to
expand their facilities.
Her seatmate on the bus happened to be
an extroverted man with the gift of gab. He “There’s something to love about every project,
chatted her up, asked about her background, but there’s something extra special about
her studies, and her career aspirations. Jane working for that kind of nonprofit.”
reciprocated the interest and asked him what he
did for a living. A Rising Star
“I’m an estimator,” he replied. His description of
his role on construction sites, collaborating with
project managers and superintendents to create Jane hasn’t rested on her laurels, either.
buildings from nothing, took Jane all the way At Shawmut she spearheaded CMSC —
back to six years of age, watching her mother Construction Management Skills Training. This
bring a house into being. three-year rotational program gives Shawmut
employees the chance to cycle through the
Pushing Into the roles of estimator, superintendent, and project
manager, empowering them with a deeper
Business understanding of their industry.
She also advocates for environmentally friendly
construction methods using sustainable
Jane knew she had found her calling … but materials.
she had her work cut out for her. In an industry
that prizes experience above all else, she had She gets giddy when talking about the potential
no experience, no connections, and the wrong for manufactured lumber made from pulverized
degree. bamboo — a material just as strong as its
counterparts, and far more sustainable to
“I made a series of decisions that made it a lot cultivate and harvest.
harder for me,” Jane reflects.
Jane is also a cheerleader for “hemp-crete,” a
Nevertheless, after six months, over 200 substitute for concrete made from hemp and
applications, and a nationwide search, she sand — just as strong as cement concrete, but
landed a job with a general contractor in far better for the environment.
Cleveland, OH. Jane leveraged that experience
into a job with Shawmut Design & Construction, But her aspirations don’t stop there. One
a major builder with offices nationwide — first day, Jane wants to return to West Africa
back in Boston, then eventually settling down in and contribute her construction expertise to
Los Angeles. improving the infrastructure of her ancestral
land
Having risen to the role of Assistant Estimator
(the same career track as her Greyhound
seatmate), she participates in the construction Leading the Way
of a dizzying variety of properties. Private and
public school facilities, healthcare facilities, Pushing dirt may come naturally to her, but she
corporate interiors and tenant fit-outs, luxury
residential, retail and hospitality, sports arenas understands that many women and girls may
not know how to get started. After all, she was
… if there’s dirt to be pushed, Jane has helped in their shoes at the start of her own journey
push it.
— no connections, no experience, no working
Her favorite projects, though, are the nonprofits, knowledge of the industry she wanted to enter.
like Boston-based Community Servants. Jane
“I didn’t have any of that,” she said. “I didn’t
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