Jayvonte Odom started college as a communications major, but it wasn’t the right fit. After taking a few years off, he decided to instead explore construction and engineering programs. He wanted a small, affordable school where he could build relationships with professors and other students.
“I was looking for that sense of community,” Odom said. “And right from my first semester, that’s what BFIT was.”
Odom became an Orientation Leader, a Student Ambassador, a member of the Student Activity Board, was inducted into the Franklin Honor Society, and served as a student speaker for the 2021 Commencement. He also worked full-time as a manager at a café, where he met an executive from Turner Construction. That meeting led to an internship at Turner and then full-time employment there as a project administrator starting in November 2020.
Odom said his work at Turner has been a perfect complement to his studies, giving him hands-on experience even after many courses had to move online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. After graduation, Odom will continue into an online bachelor’s degree program in Construction Management at Indiana State University. He’ll also keep working full-time at Turner and hopes to transition into an engineering role in the company once he earns his bachelor’s.
“Obviously, going to school is a risk, but if you can take the risk, do it,” Odom said. “I know that everybody at BFIT will be in your corner.”
Published July 8, 2021
