Elijah Reid, a 2022 graduate of the construction management technology program at Purdue Polytechnic, is already making his mark on the Indianapolis skyline. As a project engineer for Pepper Construction, Reid is helping to oversee major healthcare developments that directly serve the local community.
Reid is currently stationed at the St. Vincent campus on 86th Street in Indianapolis, where he has worked on significant projects including the Women's and Infants Hospital and the new Brain and Spine Hospital.
For Reid, the reward of the job goes beyond the steel and concrete. It is about the impact the facilities have on the people who use them.
"One of the things that makes me feel like my work makes a difference is the fact that we see children being born," Reid said. "You get to feel that enjoyment, that excitement on their face and know that you are a part of that process in order to either incorporate that room or things that it took just to make this happen."
In his role as a project engineer, Reid wears many hats. His daily responsibilities range from documentation control and cost management to schedule processing and daily check-ins with electrical, plumbing, and mechanical contractors. It is a role that requires a diverse skillset, something he credits Purdue Polytechnic for helping him develop.
Reid cited hands-on courses, such as surveying and soil testing, as pivotal in his transition from student to professional.
"The thing that Purdue really helped me with the most was the fact of being out here in my day-to-day job in the industry and having a well-rounded aspect of it," Reid said. "So now it's not just something I'm learning for the first time, it's something I've kind of been exposed to."
While his technical skills made him capable, it was his soft skills-specifically communication and confidence-that landed him the job. While Reid attended career fairs, his employment at Pepper Construction began with a chance encounter at a restaurant where he struck up a conversation with the company's chief operating officer.
That conversation led to an interview and a full-time offer shortly after. Reid believes the professional skills he learned in college, such as technical writing and communication, ensured he was ready when the opportunity presented itself.
"Initially, I thought it was going to be a giant leap going into the industry," Reid said. "But then it really felt like a small step on a day-to-day basis once I really started to get in the weeds of everything and seeing how what I was taught at Purdue really kind of incorporates the daily industry."
Reid's success is now influencing the next generation. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, he was inspired by the city's architecture. Now, his younger brother is looking to follow in his footsteps at Purdue Polytechnic.
"This experience not only changed my life, but it's changed my little brother's life as well," Reid said. "I'm building a future for me and my family, and I love where I landed."
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