25 Construction Management and Engineer Students Celebrate Graduation at Topping Out Ceremony
UA Little Rock honored 25 graduating students from the Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering during the university’s second topping out ceremony.
The ceremony was held April 30 at the Associated Builders and Contractors of Arkansas Building in North Little Rock. Each graduate received a certificate and a commemorative UA Little Rock hardhat as well as signed a beam that will be displayed in the Engineering, Technology, and Applied Science Building at UA Little Rock for future generations to see.
“I am very excited to finish the program,” said Andrew Boatman, a civil and construction engineering graduate from North Little Rock. “I like the real-world experience and had three internships before I graduated. I’ll be doing transportation engineering for HNTB in Little Rock after graduation. The topping out ceremony is a nice ending to the program.”
The event sponsors include the Arkansas Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors, Lexicon, and the family of Clyde Moore, who had a 50-year career as a foreman. Moore’s family says he would have been proud of the work being done at UA Little Rock and the opportunities that they provide for students.
“I couldn’t be more excited about graduating,” said Sterling Evans, a civil and construction engineering graduate. “I will be working in bridge design for HDR in Little Rock. I think the topping out ceremony is a nice addition to the UA Little Rock Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering program.”
The honored students, who will graduate May 11 with their bachelor’s degrees, include Raphael Abilu, Carlos Alvarez, Andrew Boatman, Brian Bowden, Jack Brent, Gabriel Brown, Mason Brown, Taylor Carter, Hunter Cameron, Jillian Cates, Ben Cobb, Caleb Coffman, Wesley Cook, Echo Cox, Matthew Eustace, Sterling Evans, Lucas Fueli, Caridad Fundora, Hesom Garner, Garrett Haley, Tabitha Harris, Ghada Hasan, William Hopkins, Tyler Hosey, Austin Jones, Jacob Kacena, Christian Kathley, Sydney Lock, Devan Malin, Anahi Mendez, David Mendoza Lopez, Daniel Park, Bryan Pendergraft, Jonathan Perez, Aaron Richard, Samuel Smith, Aaron Soltmann, Sam Swindle, Andrea Vargas, and Cameron Webb.
Chancellor Christina Drale celebrated the graduates for choosing an honorable career path where they will be a part of building the future.
“You will become the builders and crucial building blocks in the health and wellbeing of our communities and economy,” Drale said. “You have worked hard to learn how to become a member of this professional association. You have taken advantage of unique features of this program by embracing experiential-learning opportunities in the field. However you got here and whatever your background, you are now a part of this special league of people who build things, big things, and big things are in store for your future.”
Mike Tramel, founding chair of the department, elaborated on the European origins of the topping out ceremony. He noted that modern topping out ceremonies often include painting the beam white and topping it with a Christmas tree and American flag to bless the new building.
“This ceremony reflects a desire for you to have a safe, prosperous career with nothing but good fortune in your future,” Tramel said.
Matthew Eustace, a construction management graduate from Longview Texas, attended the topping out ceremony with his grandmother who had driven eight hours from Houston to attend the event.
“I am very happy that this topping out ceremony is now a reality, and I am happy to be a part of it,” Eustace said.
Sydney Lock, an architectural and construction engineering graduate, will be working as a project estimator at Baldwin & Shell while completing a master’s degree in statistics at UA Little Rock.
“I am very excited about the future,” Lock said. “I think that the ceremony is unique. I watched Jill Cates put it together and gave her some backstage encouragement.”
The ceremony is a new tradition that was spearheaded by Jillian Cates, a senior construction management major and president of the Associated General Contractors of America student chapter at UA Little Rock. The first topping out ceremony took place in December, and Cates is excited about the turnout.
“To watch this grow from a ceremony honoring five students to a ceremony honoring 25 students is incredible,” Cates said. “All of the hard work put into making this happen has been worth it to see the happiness and fulfillment that my peers feel walking out of this ceremony. I’m so glad to have had support from all parties during this process, and I hope to continue to hold this ceremony to expand our tight-knit construction community here at UA Little Rock.”
