Attending art school is a special privilege, one not everyone understands or appreciates. Our studio hours were long, our dedication was intense, and our critiques were relentless. We didn’t just learn technique; we learned to be evaluated, questioned, and stretched.

Every week, we sat through grueling critiques, sessions where everyone in the room was encouraged to dissect your work. Some feedback was technical. Some was pure opinion. All of it was humbling.

What I didn’t realize then was how well these lessons would prepare me for a career in the construction industry.

It’s no secret: construction evolved as a male-dominated industry — physically demanding, hierarchical, and rooted in traditional notions of strength, control, and stoicism. That culture often prizes traits like:

Assertiveness over collaboration

Speed over thoughtfulness

Command over influence

Doing over reflecting

So when women enter, the energy mismatch can feel like they’re stepping into a foreign land where the rules of success were written by and for men.

When I take my kids on a road trip, I plan our bathroom stops — because let’s be honest, not all gas station restrooms are created equal. Every time I do, I’m reminded of my early teenage jobs working in fast food restaurants and diners, where cleaning the bathrooms was part of the shift. No one liked it, but we accepted it. 

There was always a checklist taped to the wall: refill the soap, restock paper towels, wipe the counters, mop the floor. If you followed it perfectly, you’d technically done your job. But no one ever thanked you for checking all the boxes.

What did get noticed was when you went a step further — when you saw something that wasn’t on the list and fixed it anyway.