Students building an international outlook

New construction group promotes cultural awareness, working in different locales

 by Allison Denny
 published on Monday, February 18, 2008

When Jeremy Meek and AJ Rowen met in high school, they didn't have much in common.

"We were more acquaintances than anything," Rowen said. "Jeremy was the student body president. … I was more of a jock."

But the construction juniors have now teamed up to start a new student organization.

The group will be focused on teaching construction students about cultural awareness by organizing trips to other countries and increasing education about studying abroad for construction students.

"[There's a need] to open everyone's eyes to the bigger picture," Rowen said. "We want to bring in more students and be able to offer something that's never been offered."

Many construction students, Rowen said, focus on getting a high-paying job and not helping others.

"[We should take the] construction know-how we're taught in school and use it for good things and not just making money," Rowen said.

Meek is in Queensland University of Technology in Australia taking construction classes as part of an exchange program.

As a result, Rowen said he's left to handle the dirty work of starting up the club: enlisting Luke Snell, director of the school's Construction Industry Management program, to be the organization's sponsor and enlisting more than the minimum three required ASU students to participate.

"I've kind of spread the word," he said. "And everybody I've talked to said they would join in a heartbeat."

There are already about 25 or 30 people interested in joining, Rowen added, and he thinks more will join as word spreads about the group.

Organization registration begins April 15. The registration will put a name on the organization and make it official, Rowen said. But the work is going to get started before that, he added.

Meek said that while construction in the Phoenix area is booming, there are opportunities in other places.

"We have our own little pocket, but there's so much more happening elsewhere," he said.

Between them, Rowen and Meek have visited six of the seven continents. Only Antarctica remains.

Last summer, Meek spent a few weeks in South Africa, just north of Johannesburg, building a house for a pastor.

"If you stay in one place, you'll only have the experience of that place," he said. "You can learn so much more about doing other things in other countries."

Commercial construction junior Blake Dijkman is one of the students interested in joining the club.

Using his construction background to help others is important and something he hasn't had a lot of experience with, he said.

The organization, he added, would give him an opportunity to help others, especially abroad.

"I'd love to do something like that before I find a full-time career," he said.

Learning to work in other places is important for an aspiring construction manager, Dijkman said. He said he plans on going to Idaho or Washington next semester to build in a different environment.

"I've lived here for over 20 years," he said. "I want to see someplace new and build elsewhere."

Reach the reporter at: allison.denny@asu.edu.