FSU Students Connect Their Learning to Real-Life Projects

Students from Fresno State’s construction management program recently visited McCaffrey Homes building sites at Tesoro Viejo in Madera for feet-on-the-ground learning about the construction industry. 

The tour, led by McCaffrey Homes’ Construction Manager Brandon Smith, has become a sort of tradition for students in assistant professor Sagat Bhawani, Ph.D.’s, classes. Bhawani says the tours connect what the students are learning in class to the real world and get them excited about what might otherwise be vague classroom concepts.  

The visits get rave reviews from students who say the job-site tours are valuable, interesting and one of their favorite parts of the course. 

“It gives them context through real projects and puts life into the knowledge they’re getting in class,” Bhawani explains. “Brandon goes through all the topics we cover in a semester in one day, and that’s huge for us. Students can relate everything they learn through lectures and presentations to what they see on the job sites and take that knowledge forward beyond the classroom experience.”

Student Guadalupe Zamudio, who’s studying business administration and construction management, says the tour gave her a better understanding of foundation work and the business aspects involved in home construction, both key factors of the building industry she needs expertise in beyond the classroom. 

“The tour benefits us by giving us an overall look at the field and helps us understand the steps of construction and how home builders keep construction going,” shared construction management student Cristobal Vega. 

“This experience has been amazing! It has really taught me what my future every day might look like whether it’s in architecture, construction management or on the business side,” added architecture student Melissa Valencia. 

Inviting students to construction sites is just one way McCaffrey Homes gives back to the community and the home-building industry. Through scholarships, collaboration, and volunteerism, are some of the additional ways McCaffrey lends its support to the community and the homebuilding industry.  After all, leadership and connection are a company value. 

“McCaffrey Homes has a long history of supporting Fresno State, its students and our industry,” said Ash Knowlton, McCaffrey Homes’ President of Construction. “We look forward to continuing our support as part of our dedication to empowering future construction managers and others in the home-building industry.”