Chelsea West makes her education a reality through generous donor support and a prestigious fellowship
Chelsea West is currently a senior in the Construction Management program. Last spring she was selected as one of only six students in the United States for a prestigious Baker Fellowship. This opportunity has provided her with scholarship funds and allowed her to travel with all expenses paid to three American Concrete Institute International Conventions. Chelsea is the first Missouri State student to receive this fellowship. “Receiving this fellowship has been amazing and I am honored to have been chosen.”
Chelsea also received the prestigious Inmon Memorial Scholarship from the College of Business in 2013-2014. “Being a first generation college student, all of the expenses of my education are my responsibility. This scholarship has made all of the difference because it gives me the opportunity to focus on my course work. School can be my first priority. It also takes the pressure off, allowing me to participate and be involved in organizations,” states Chelsea.
During the last two years, Chelsea has been an active member of the Construction Club and currently serves as the vice president. She has also experienced success competing at the Associated Schools of Construction competition in 2012 and 2013. She has represented Missouri State on a six-person team, competing in the commercial division each year. In the fall of 2013, her team placed 3rd in this elite competition. The competition is unique and allows teams a few weeks to prepare a report on an assigned case study before arriving at the competition. After arrival, teams have 18 hours to develop more materials as required by the sponsoring corporation, and then each team has a 20-minute presentation. “You have to be prepared for anything because you never know what you will be asked for once you arrive at the competition. It is a great experience because the case studies allow students a real-world experience,” says Chelsea.
Having explored a few majors, Chelsea figured out very early in her first construction management course that she had found the right fit. “Within my major I found that I could build on my math and science skills and combine that with business course work and creative skills for a career that would be the best fit for me.” Chelsea states that faculty support was very important in her decision of choosing a major. “Dr. Shawn Strong, Dr. David Joswick, and Dr. Richard Gebken have been very influential and supportive during my time in the major. Our department has a lot of people who really care, and that shows.”
This summer, Chelsea will participate in an internship with McCarthy headquartered in St. Louis. She will be interning at a commercial build job site, but will not know the location until later this spring. There are several options in Missouri and some out-of-state so she is eager to find out her placement.
For more information on Missouri State Scholarship opportunities visit the Financial Aid website. The deadline for 2014-2015 scholarships is March 1, 2014.