XLIX

Engineering Design Firm

9201 University City Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28223
Whole Life Concept Project Report
ETGR 1201-031
Mark Stevenson
April 18, 2015

1201 Academic Integrity Statement

I have neither given nor received any unauthorized help on this assignment, nor witnessed any violation of the
UNC Charlotte Code of Academic Integrity.

Students Signature

April 18, 2015

Date

Introduction:
Every great dream begins with a dreamer.
Always remember you have within you the strength,
the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change
the world
-Harriet Tubman
Hopes and dreams; everybody has them but how each individual chooses to develop upon those hopes
and dreams determines what ones passion is. It all starts with a dream; for me it was the dream to be an
architect. But as many people know some dreams get crushed and many give up on their dreams. But its the
person who rebounds from that crushing blow and gets back up continuing the fight that succeeds in the end.
Never quitting that is what passion really requires. This is where I find myself, having taken the crushing blow;
recuperated and have now found what my true passion is meant to be: becoming a Construction Manager. The
discovery of my passion came after net being accepted into the College of Arts and Architecture. But with that
setback came a new path for me in life, the Construction Management major.
Passion:
All of my life I have had an interest in the construction and design fields but it wasnt until college that
I realized which I would choose. My interest for these fields started in my childhood where my parents
introduced me to many design and build it yourself type toys; from Legos, Lincoln logs, Erecter sets, and
many more all introducing me to working and creating with my hands. Fast forwarding back to present time, I
have come to realize that the things I grew up loving to do so much could become my career, and ultimately my
life. This is what drives me, to be able to do something for the rest of my life, something that I love. But
ultimately my passion is my future, and my future scares me. Using that fright I work hard every day to achieve
my passion of becoming a Construction Manager.
Behind all great achievers are people who supported them along the way. For me, this support comes
from my family. My family has been there every step of the way, from my first toy, through grade school, and
planning for my future. Planning for my future is something that I am most thankful for. This is because when I
was born my mother and father started a college account for me so that I could have the privilege to obtain a
higher education. My family has also been there to teach me the values that I will need throughout life; the
biggest one is perseverance. Perseverance is the willingness to get up, dust yourself off, and keep going; without
this in life I would have given up at the first failure and would have never discovered my passion. As I am
eternally grateful for everything that my family has taught me, there are also lessons that I have learned on my
own from past experiences, such as community service. This introduced me to helping people, and the feeling
that one gets from helping others is like no other. From my family and past experiences I have learned that I
want to be able to help people in life with my passion.
Im sure that there are other people out there who have similar experiences and values as me but the
difference comes down to how I was raised. My family, as mentioned earlier, has been there along my
educational path pushing me forward and motivating me. Letting them down is something that would be
devastating to me. After every opportunity they have provided for me, and every sacrifice they have made, the
only thing I can do in return is to become successful and strive for my passion.
Impact:
The only way to achieve my passion is to have intermediate goals to work towards. To start, I need to
finish college graduating with a degree in Construction Management and Civil Engineering Technologies. With
these degrees, I will have gained the knowledge to be able to work toward my next goal of finding my first job
within my career field. This will possibly be the most important goal, as it will set me on the path in my career

field getting me even closer to my passion of helping my community. My third goal is also an impact; this goal
is to help my community with a project that will better the community as a whole. I believe that these goals will
be applicable to the present and in the future. With these goals, I will be able to properly achieve my passion,
and with my passion I will be able to give back to my community and the world around me.
With the world around us changing every day, there will be new issues to solve once I am ready to enter
the workforce. Some issues that I can expect to encounter will be the failing infrastructure throughout America;
an example of this is the 70,000 bridges that have been deemed structurally deficient(Kroft, Steve Nov. 23,
2014)1 according a 60 Minutes report by Steve Kroft. But bridges are just minor infrastructure issues that
America faces; there are also the airports with not enough runway space for the next generation of planes, and
ports that wont be dredged deep enough to handle the larger cargo ships. Although America was once ahead of
its time infrastructure it is now failing piece by piece. To help my community and country, I can apply my
passion as a Construction Manager to help fix these problems making America a safe place yet again.
Another issue that will affect my passion is the current electrical grid system that the United States
operates on. This grid system is becoming stretched to capacity2, so what can be done about this issues? It is
simple: a greater number of homes and buildings need to become more energy efficient. This doesnt just mean
the simple light bulb change; no, it means creating homes and buildings that will be self-sufficient. This is where
my passion can be implemented. The construction of these buildings is something that a construction manager
of the near future will need to know and understand.
With an increasing population The United States of America will not only need upgraded infrastructure
and more self-sufficient homes but also new buildings in general. This includes residential and commercial
spaces. The population growth rate of the country is 0.77% (2014 est.) (CIA, Apr. 10, 2015)3 and projected to
rise throughout the years, meaning that there will be more people. More people mean the need for more jobs and
places to call home. The building requirements that come with this increase in population are something that I
will be able to assist in doing. These local and mostly national issues are something that my passion and, career
will be able to partake in meaning that the job outlook for Construction Managers is projected to be high.
Knowledge, Application, Skills, and Abilities:
Being able to achieve my passion will take a great deal of hard work as well as skills, knowledge, and
abilities. These skills such as leadership, time-management, business, speaking, and initiative (U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics, Jan. 8, 2014)4 will be learned from past experiences and teachings throughout college. These
skills and others will help me become successful throughout the Construction Management and Civil
Engineering career fields. When it comes to knowledge, nothing is more helpful than on the job work
experience. This will give me the best knowledge as well as the classes that I will take throughout college to
prepare me for my career field. Outside of my career fieldwork experience and college, there are certifications
that can be obtained such as the Certified Construction Manager (CCM), which is a technical exam that is given
by the Construction Management Association of America (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Jan. 8, 2014)3.
Although certifications are not required, they do look good on rsums and can demonstrate your knowledge
1 "Falling Apart: America's Neglected Infrastructure." CBSNews. Accessed April 17, 2015.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/falling-apart-america-neglected-infrastructure/.
2 "Aging Power Grid on Overload as U.S. Demands More Electricity." Washington Post. Accessed April
18, 2015. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/aging-power-grid-on-overload-asus-demands-more-electricity/2012/08/01/gJQAB5LDQX_story.html.
3 "The World Factbook." Central Intelligence Agency. April 10, 2015. Accessed April 17, 2015.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html.

4 "Summary." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. January 8, 2014. Accessed April 17, 2015.
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/construction-managers.htm#tab-4.

and experience (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Jan. 8, 2014)3 throughout the career field. With learning
these skills and obtaining the necessary knowledge, I will be able to turn my passion into a career.
Throughout writing this paper as well as during my first semester of being in the Construction
Management major, I have constantly had the thought of is this the right major for me? Every time that
question arose in my head or was asked to me, I had no hesitation in answering it. Yes, the Construction
Management and the Civil Engineering Technologies majors are right for me, I am committed to these majors
and have worked hard throughout this semester and will continue to until graduation time. But hard work isnt
going to get me through the really tough courses, knowledge of the material and willingness to work toward my
goal of graduation will. This is where my concerns come in, the tough courses such as Applied Mechanics I and
II, Physics I and II, and finally the Capstone Project my senior year. These courses seem like such huge tasks
that will be difficult. So when time comes to take these courses, all I can do is bear down and do the best I can.
This means getting help when I need it and taking advantage of every opportunity. But these opinions are being
based off of what other students are telling me, so it could be that they arent so bad, and as I mature and
continue to learn, I should be able to accomplish passing these difficult courses. So the question is asked again:
is this major right for me? The answer is yes, and will continue to be as it is a part of my passion.
The higher education that I am obtaining will make it possible for my passion to become my career, as
it will give me the knowledge that is needed to be successful. Looking through the academic plans for
Construction Management and Civil Engineering Technologies, I have noticed classes such as Construction
Project Administration, Construction Means and Methods, and Highway Design and Construction just to state a
few that will help me be prepared to achieve my desired impact and become successful. The Construction
Project Administration course will give me the understanding of how to be in charge of a construction site,
making sure that the project gets done on time and within the budget. Construction Means and Methods will
also help with the on site work with what tools and construction methods that will be needed to complete the
project. Finally, Highway Design and Construction will help me with future issues concerning the infrastructure
of the United States as mentioned earlier. Not only will these courses set me on a path of success within my
career, but also will help me achieve my desired impact of helping my community. These classes will give me
the tools and knowledge to properly complete jobs throughout my career. My education as a whole is necessary
for me to turn my passion into a career.
The best way to gain knowledge about a topic or field of study is to participate in it, with this being said
for myself to gain knowledge about the Construction Manager job position I will need to get an internship or to
job shadow. This will provide me with the skills and knowledge needed for this career. An internship or job
shadow would show me the day-to-day expectations and work life of a Construction Manager. This would be
vital to me as it will show me first hand what I will be doing in my future which will help me achieve my
desired impact and passion. Outside of the workplace, I can develop my skills and knowledge in several other
ways, one of which is the organization Habitat for Humanity. By assisting with builds that this organization does
I will get hands on experience with the construction world. These hands on experiences can show me the
process of which how homes are built. Also with each home that I help with it deals with the impact that I hope
to achieve on my own with my passion. So essentially, by working with Habitat for Humanity I will be getting a
jump-start on my passion and the impact that want to achieve. Time is money in the construction world, with
every day spent not working or behind on the schedule it can ultimately affect the budget of the project. Because
of this I need to better develop my time management skills. I can better this skill through my summer job; by
showing up on time and prepared for work. Time management is a skill that needs to be learned and applied, not
only in the educational world but also in my professional career. I will need time management to assure that I
have enough time for the completion projects; this includes the ones that will be associated with my impact.
With time management I like to affiliate accuracy, these two skills together will form a great combination;
meaning that the project will be done on time and to the specified directions.
Reflection and Conclusion:
My passion isnt anything spectacular, but it is what makes me who I am. It took me 18 years to find
my passion and through many ups and downs through life. It was my life that shaped my passion into what it is

today. My passion is to become a Construction Manager and have a positive impact on peoples lives.
Specifically impacting peoples home lives by bettering my community through my career. Through the Whole
Life Concept Model I am able to see why this passion is so important to me. It is curtail for me to have this
passion and to understand the Whole Life Concept Model, as it is how I will be able to apply my passion in the
future. I will be able to make the impact that I hope to accomplish, helping families in need with the basic
necessity of a home. The Whole Life Concept Model shows me that in order to get to that far off goal I have of
helping my community I have to work hard here and now. Gaining the knowledge necessary to later apply my
passion to my chosen impact. The knowledge part of the Whole Life Concept Model is what concentric circle I
am currently working in, learning the ways of the Construction Management degree. But I have only dipped my
toe into this circle; I have to stay committed to my passion in order to become successful throughout life, as my
future is at stake with everything I do. Then there is the application circle, this is a life long learning circle. The
application circle deals with the skills that I will continue to learn throughout life. These skills that I will always
be learning and updating as I continue through my career path will stick with me throughout life and are very
important. I will need these skills when creating the impact that I seek in my community.
While doing this assignment I have discovered new things about myself including: setting new goals,
my hopes for the future, and finally what my passion truly means to me. Talking about myself, my hopes, my
plans for the future, my goals, and most of all my passion isnt really something that I do or consider on an
everyday basis. But this paper changed that for me, as I decided to type this paper over a weeks worth of time
taking it a section by section more of these things were on my mind more often. I would find myself in class
thinking about what I have to write that night; thinking about the questions and how to answer them to my best
ability. This paper truly opened my mind up to my expectations for myself. Writing this paper has also put my
whole life into perspective for me, it forced me to realize that everything I do here and now, including what I
learn throughout school determines how good my future will be. This assignment has also given me the final
answer to is this major right for you? After completing this assignment I am able to answer without a doubt
that these are the majors for me, this is what I want to be doing for the rest of my life, and I want to be good at it.
To be good at what I do further down the road I have to work hard to achieve my goals and my passion in order
to consider myself successful. Continuing in this major is the right thing for me and it is the path that I choose to
take in life.
Commitment to me means not giving up, to stick through it even when the going gets tough. Times like
this you have to remember what you are in it for, and the end result, your passion. So myself being committed to
engineering means that I wont give up. Knowing the possible outcome if I am able to be successful through
engineering is all worth it to me. Being able to achieve my passion and use it towards everything that I have
talked about throughout this paper is all worth it for me. Yes, getting through school is going to be tough, but
having that drive, that fire in your heart as my father would say, will get me through it. Right now more than
ever I have found my place, where I belong, and what I am supposed to be doing. When I was first accepted into
the University of Charlotte at North Carolina I had big dreams, high expectations, not that I dont anymore, they
have just changed. But they have changed for the better. They have change into something that I am happier
with doing, something that I will always be happy with doing. It is said love your job and you will never work
a day in your life I take this to heart. I want to love my job, I want to love what I do, and by majoring in
Construction Management and Civil Engineering Technologies I will be able to get a job loving what I do.
Finally to conclude I would like to talk about the quote that I started off this paper with,
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember you have within you
the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world
-Harriet Tubman.
This quote was something that I found while searching for what passion meant. To me I interpret this
quote by Harriet Tubman as Everyone dreams but it is those who have a passion for their dream that can
change the world. It only takes one person with a dream, to make a difference, and that person could be any of
us.

Bibliography:
"Aging Power Grid on Overload as U.S. Demands More Electricity." Washington Post. Accessed April
18, 2015. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/aging-power-grid-onoverload-as-us-demands-more-electricity/2012/08/01/gJQAB5LDQX_story.html.
"Falling Apart: America's Neglected Infrastructure." CBSNews. Accessed April 17, 2015.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/falling-apart-america-neglected-infrastructure/.
"Harriet Tubman Quote." BrainyQuote. Accessed April 18, 2015.
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/harriettub310306.html?src=t_passion.
"Summary." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. January 8, 2014. Accessed April 17, 2015.
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/construction-managers.htm#tab-4.
"The World Factbook." Central Intelligence Agency. April 10, 2015. Accessed April 17, 2015.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html.