Salute scholarships pave roads into building industry

Brady Bond didn't see much future in bricklaying. He liked the work just fine, but his body had a few objections.

He started as a hod carrier at the age of 17. By 21, he was a member of the bricklayers' union. At 29, he had an operation for a double hernia.

"I thought I was all right," Bond said. "I went back to work and didn't think much about it."

Then his back started hurting. He had a bulging disc, the result of changing his gait to compensate for the hernia.

Seven injections in his back later, Bond re-evaluated his career options and headed back to the classroom.

Bond enrolled in Ozarks Technical Community College, where he earned his associate's degree with 3.97 grade-point average. He is now working on a construction management degree at Missouri State University and, on Nov. 5, will be awarded three scholarships at the 2009 Salute to Construction Awards Banquet.

"I decided I better do something to take care of my family before it was too late," said Bond, who has a wife and 10-year-old son.

Bond conceded he wasn't the best student in high school - chasing girls and being done with school were his primary objectives.

"That made me a bricklayer, I guess," Bond said with a laugh. "I always thought I might have more potential," he said.

Bond is among the MSU, Drury University and OTC students who will be recognized at the banquet for their potential in the construction field. He is receiving scholarships from the Greater Ozarks Building Systems Association, the Springfield Contractors Association and the Salute to Construction Council.

Last year, 22 scholarships were awarded by 13 organizations affiliated with Salute, according to the organization's Web site.

Student support

Bond's Salute to Construction Council scholarship is one of five $500 scholarships being awarded this year to commemorate 25 years of Salute to Construction. Those scholarships are being given to people who lost their jobs because of the economy and decided to pursue degrees in construction-related fields, said Jared Walker, owner of Springfield-based Grindstone Construction LLC and a member of the Salute Council.

Walker knows firsthand how important those scholarships can be. He received the first of three scholarships in 2000 as a freshman at MSU.

"Being the recipient of those was huge, because I put myself through school," Walker said.

But the rewards were not exclusively monetary.

The recognition served as a gateway for Walker to network with local industry leaders. A person can have the education, grades and technical know-how to succeed in construction, "but without relationships in this town, you won't go anywhere," Walker said.

"By getting involved ... you start to know a lot of leaders in the industry and the community," Walker added. "That can help you when you're done with college."



Building an industry

Matt Morrow, executive director of the Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield, said his organization's investment in students is also an investment in the construction field. The HBA will award seven scholarships of about $500 each this year at the Salute banquet.

"A big part of what we do is work toward stronger work force development and develop the next generation of people in the local construction industry," Morrow said.

Home builder Sam Clifton, owner of Millstone Custom Homes, which recently finished a build in Ash Grove for ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," received two Salute scholarships in 1982, and echoed Morrow's sentiment.

"I think it's important to show people in the Springfield area that we're willing to support the construction field," he said.

Plus, he noted, those investments can sometimes help the industry down the road, though recipients don't always go to work for the companies that provided the scholarships.

Clifton points to himself as an example. His scholarships came from Springfield Contractors Association and general contracting company Killian Construction.

"(Killian) knew I might not work for them ... they looked at the industry as a whole," said Clifton, who went to work for his father after graduating from Missouri State University.

"You know, these kids going through school are learning new technology ... so when you're giving that scholarship, it'll keep them in that industry," he added.

Kathy Baer, employment director for the SCA, said the $4,000 or so in scholarships awarded by her organization annually is aimed at attracting young talent to the field. "That's something that we've always felt very strongly about," Baer said.

In 1982, prior to the first Salute to Construction, Duane Prewitt was among the SCA's first scholarship recipients. He's also an example of how scholarship funds support the local industry.

These days, Prewitt's still working in southwest Missouri construction, now as senior vice president of preconstruction at Killian.

Though he's come a long way since then, Prewitt said he hasn't forgotten that recognition.

"Not just financially, but just the mental boost that it gives a student," he said.

Prewitt said it's important to recognize students' accomplishments.

"So many of these kids work so hard to maintain their grades and (are committed) to student organizations and community involvement," Prewitt said, citing MSU's Construction Club, which does service projects for Habitat for Humanity, as an example.

"If these kids find out someone needs a ramp, they'll just go out and do it. These kids need to be ... recognized for going above and beyond for not just their work in the classroom, but in the community," Prewitt said.

But for Bond - who said his "is a pretty good little story, I guess" - it's mostly about the money, from the Salute Scholarships and others he received.

"I'm basically going to Missouri State for free this year," Bond said. "Things are really tight for us, so these scholarships really help a lot."