The Unsung Pillar
What is a pillar to you? Is it a large vertical support for a building? Is it a sign showing you where you are or how far you’ve gone? Or perhaps it’s not just a structure to you, but a person. A person who’s supported you all your life. A person that made your path in life plain by being an example. A person that is very difficult to move from your life because you can’t imagine yourself without them. Whatever it means to you, I’d like to know what comes to mind when I ask, what is a pillar of society?
I’d never really thought about something like that before. However, the answer became evident throughout this past summer of 2022 during my first internship. It was with a company called CDM Smith, Inc., which is an engineering and construction firm that provides service and solutions in water, environment, transportation, energy and facilities. Before this internship I had very little knowledge and experience of this type of construction. I spent most of my time researching how a house or a building was built, but had no clue how much more to construction there was. During my internship, we were constructing a water treatment plant consisting of many parts. Civil, architectural, environmental, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing are just some of the many systems that were critically thought about during the design-dense phase of the project. A variety of engineers, contractors, managers, specialists, and administrators were involved daily in the progression of this project. These people put their all into this work. They are passionate because they understand that they are capable of providing for the world and the people within it. No matter how seemingly small, large, simple, or complex their role is, they understand that humans cannot live without Earth’s natural resources. Therefore, they put forth work with the best mindset because there are people relying on them. This is something that I’ve come to learn in the field of construction so far. Whatever I was tasked to do, I could see the direct or indirect impact it would have on the project and ultimately the people it is meant for. My manager, Tommy Floyd, always emphasized the importance of performing A+ work, because that determines whether or not you receive A+ results. Moreover, in this business, the quality of work you put out is a factor that ultimately determines the success of a project, which translates to lives being saved or lives being lost. Whether it’s making calls, emailing, updating registers, flying drones, assuring quality, or analyzing blueprints, there was always something I could contribute to and learn from. It was like I was drinking from a lake with a cup. Getting to the bottom would probably take a while. I mean we’re basically talking about a “living” project, if you will, in the sense that it has a process or function in and of itself that enables an input of raw water and an output of potable water. This type of project is more advanced than what I would consider a “normal” residential project because it includes buildings as well as the large movement, primarily of water, through process piping systems.
Get Michael Murray’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
That being said, an idea or project designed with an enormous number of complex systems requires people with an enormous amount of competence and skill, and this was what I experienced. I’m sure not every construction and engineering firm is the same, but at CDM Smith there was a strong culture of truly caring for its employees and its society that goes unsung. I was surrounded by hard-working and competent people. With an office stationed on the site, there were plenty of opportunities for me to get practical experience and observe these professionals performing their roles. We would have frequent site walks that would enable them to explain construction related concepts or ideas while I observed them in real time. I noticed a sincere effort they put forth to make sure that myself and the other interns really understood what we were doing and learning, and for that I am very grateful. The amount of time they took out of their busy schedules to work with me made me feel valued even as an intern. Even though they were far ahead of me in terms of skill and experience in construction, they treated me with the same respect and expectation as they did themselves.
Fujio Cho is honorary chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation and he once said that “First we build people, then we build cars”. I think this was very well said because only great people can make great things. Anyone with the skill to build can build, but can anyone work together with other people in order to achieve something greater than they could themselves? I believe the same idea can be applied to investing in the next generation because the fact of the matter is no one can live forever. So, if a company wants to have longevity in the industry they work in, they need to invest in young, hardworking, and determined people who share the same values and are willing to carry the torch. I think CDM Smith has been an excellent model of this. If I were to ask you, out of 100 interns, how many do you think CDM Smith laid off during the summer of 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, what would you think? When I was asked this I originally thought around 50 would be the case. However, I was surprised to hear that, while other companies were cutting down on their intern opportunities, not a single CDM Smith intern was dropped. This just shows that they understand the importance of the work they do for society because they were willing to take a risk in order to help the next generation of construction leaders succeed. I experienced this personally when I was even provided housing for my internship. It was an act that made me realize how much they valued their interns. As a result of that, I now want to help this company by being the best intern possible. As an architectural engineering student, my goal in writing this is somewhat to make some noise for companies like CDM Smith, but also to reach out to similar students at NC A&T State University and other universities to inform them that they are needed in the construction field, not only to learn what is taught in school but also to go out and apply it so that we will have the competence to uphold and take care of society.
The same way a structure is unstable with weak pillars, so are countries and people unstable with weak infrastructure, and I’m submitting that weak infrastructure is rooted in incompetency and the failure to pass on skills from one generation to the next. Which brings me back to the question, what is a pillar to you? Whatever it is you’re doing or aspire to do in life, I hope that now you feel at least a bit more empowered from the idea that maybe you can be one of the many valuable pillars of society.
