Four-year fund supports college tuition, offers internships and a job opportunity at a leading firm for one inner-city youth from a Boston Public School.
Boston, MA – June 11, 2008 – Shawmut Design and Construction (www.shawmut.com), a leading national construction management firm, in collaboration with Boston’s John D. O’Bryant School of Math and Science, proudly recognizes the recipient of its inaugural Construction Management Career Scholarship.
Shawmut Vice President of Field Operations Paul Doherty presented O’Bryant senior Eric Cabral with the award at the Roxbury, Mass. exam high school on Tuesday, June 3. Cabral, and future recipients, will receive up to $5,000 for each of four academic years while studying construction management at an accredited post-secondary school, up to a total of $20,000. Throughout college, pending academic performance, the student will be welcome to a summer internship at Shawmut, and upon graduation, will be invited to join Shawmut’s Construction Management Skills Training (CMST) program – positioning the student for a full-time job at Shawmut, a top-ranked national construction management firm. The CMST program is a 36-month on-the-job training during which students experience one year each of the three main construction management disciplines: Project Management, Site Supervision, and Estimating, supplemented by one-on-one mentoring and continuous training and development.
“We are pleased to honor Eric Cabral, whose exceptional academics and dedication position him for a strong future in construction management,” said Thomas Goemaat, Shawmut’s CEO. “From all facets of our industry, there is a huge demand for business and people management expertise. We hope our scholarship will help boost not only the recipients, such as Eric, into this promising industry, but that it will encourage others to join us as well.”
Cabral represents a well-rounded student whose lifelong fascination with construction management is matched by his success in the classroom – and on the playing field.
“I have always dreamt about being that guy creating and managing those buildings I saw in construction sites with my mom when we walked down Boston's streets,” he said. “It was a passion I had permanently tattooed on my heart.”
An especially compelling physics class junior year left no doubt in Eric’s mind about his life’s work, and he went on to complete Advanced Placement courses in not only physics but Spanish, US History and Statistics. Cabral plans to attend Roger Williams University this fall. In addition to being a talented student, Cabral has shone on the baseball field since the age of four. He played for the O’Bryant Tigers varsity team all four years of high school, appeared in two All-City Baseball Classic All-Star games, and has already been recruited by Roger Williams after an impressive performance at the Senior Showcase in Jamaica Plain.
The goal of Shawmut’s partnership with O’Bryant and the scholarship is to address a lack of young talent entering the field. Shawmut will use this program to share its own passion for an exciting industry - as well as the values that drive that mission - with a promising inner city youth. The scholarship will not only put one O’Bryant senior per year on a fast track to realizing his or her construction management goals, but it will simultaneously broaden the understanding of the vast career opportunities available in this field.
The scholarship is an expression of Shawmut’s dedication to giving back to its community, as well as its firm commitment to both diversity and training. The relationship between Shawmut and the O’Bryant School kicked off last fall, when Shawmut managers made classroom presentations about the field, as well as took students on trips to the new Apple store on Boylston Street and a job shadow day in the Shawmut office on Harrison Avenue. Shawmut became acquainted with the O’Bryant School through both parties’ involvement with the Boston Private Industry Council.
Community involvement is a core value for Shawmut, and the company actualizes that drive through its Shawmut Community Outreach Program (SCOP) committee. This group is responsible for organizing charity building and renovation projects, and for helping Shawmut employees volunteer at local schools, food pantries, shelters and other community services, amounting to thousands of volunteer hours and donations every year. Shawmut’s philanthropic partners include Rebuilding Together, Room to Dream Foundation, Rosie’s Place, the Greater Boston Food Bank, Community Servings, ReadBoston and the Children’s Trust Fund. Active for several years, the SCOP group has maintained a strong focus on Massachusetts-area charities, and continues to see an increase in employee involvement.
About Shawmut Design and Construction
Shawmut Design and Construction is a 100% employee-owned company headquartered in Boston with offices in New York, Providence, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and New Haven. Shawmut is a leading ENR top 100-ranked national construction management firm providing client-oriented services in the following markets: Academic, Commercial, Corporate Interiors, Cultural and Historic Preservation, Healthcare and Science, Gaming, Restaurants, Retail, Spas and Health Clubs. For more information, visit Shawmut’s website at www.shawmut.com.
About The John D. O’Bryant School
The John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science is a diverse, supportive community of learners that engages in a rigorous and comprehensive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program integrated with Humanities. The college-preparatory exam school enables students to reach their full potential and become leaders who will shape the direction of society. It is a part of the Boston Public School System.
