California Contractors Insurance Services launched its inaugural Future Contractors Scholarship starting in the 2018 fall semester. Our office requested a small essay about what the benefits of attending college were for the future of the California contracting industry. After sifting through hundreds of astute submissions our scholarship panel selected a deserving winner of the $750 scholarship. Congratulations to Carlee Guthaus, attending California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Carlee is currently studying Civil Engineering, graduate class of 2021. She interns during the summer with Turner Construction Company (Lic #210639) as a preconstruction engineer, where she hopes to stay on after graduation.

When asked about her biggest influence for choosing civil engineering in California Carlee remembered fondly a high school engineering program called Project Lead the Way www.pltwcalifornia.org . Michael Martin, the lead teacher for Project Lead the Way in Carlee’s High school of Martin Luther King High School, Riverside, Ca. were one of the many mentors in the STEM field that helped solidify her career choice.

As a woman entering a largely male populated career Carlee praised the diversity of the intern program she is involved in, siting an approximate 40% female/60% male split. While there are times on various job sites Carlee finds herself the only woman, she recognizes that women are becoming more apparent in all fields of construction.

As a final piece of advice to all the college bound and attending future California contractors Carlee has this to say, “Ask for forgiveness and not for permission. I've had very cool experiences both at my internship and in life because I didn't ask if for permission; I just went for it and hoped I wouldn't have to ask for forgiveness later.”

If you know of a future contractor entering or currently attending college/university encourage them to apply to our current CCIS Future Contractors Scholarship at www.ccisbonds.com/scholarship.