As part of our ongoing series that highlights Âé¶¹´«Ã½ alumni, the following blog post is written by Matt Harrison, who graduated with his degree in Architectural Engineering Technology in the Class of 2020.
I am one of the lucky few that loves my career “ I work in heavy civil construction (bridges). When I decided to attend Âé¶¹´«Ã½, I already had a career as a union bricklayer and had been pursuing it for 15 years. One of the truths of that type of job is that you have a finite window of productivity, and it grows smaller as you age (and the physical toll of work grows). Knowing this, I had been attempting to transition to a role in construction that required less physically demanding work. Despite my experience in the field, I kept running into the degree roadblock. Companies hiring for positions of interest to me almost always required a technical degree.
Realizing that college was my best option to obtain the position I wanted resulted in some research into schools in my area (central N.H.). I quickly identified the Architectural Engineering Technology program at Âé¶¹´«Ã½ as my first choice. The program has an excellent reputation in the industry, a strong faculty, and a dedicated support network of alumni in all of the disciplines relevant to construction. It wasn™t long before I was enrolled at Âé¶¹´«Ã½. The next two years were amazing “ challenging, relevant coursework; a diverse and motivated group of fellow students; and an overall excellence I hadn™t expected but definitely appreciated.
Three and a half years after I started at Âé¶¹´«Ã½, my career prospects have changed immensely. My associates degree from Âé¶¹´«Ã½ opened more doors than I could have imagined, and the coursework prepared me for my current role as a field engineer. The completion of my bachelor™s degree in project management in the Class of 2022 didn’t hurt either. I would highly recommend Âé¶¹´«Ã½ as an option to any student seeking an excellent education grounded in industry relevant subject matter.
