Building Skills, Confidence ... and a House

Construction Management Club illuminates the field for girls

BY JOE TOUGAS '86

MSU Construction Management students Malia Riordan and Kayla Reid spent the 2024–25 academic year helping middle school girls gain hands-on construction experience by literally building a house. 

As officers in the Construction Management Women’s Association (CMWA), Riordan and Reid participated in the Trailblazers Project, a collaboration between the Mankato YWCA and APX Construction Group. The initiative introduces girls to trades like carpentry, electrical work, and plumbing through the construction of a small, functional home. 

Each month, the group met at the APX warehouse, where industry subcontractors—many recruited by Riordan and Reid—led demonstrations. The project aligned with the YWCA’s mission of empowering women and CMWA’s goal of connecting female students with industry professionals. 

“A lot of the goals of the CMWA and what APX and the YWCA are doing fit really well together,” said Reid. “It’s about uplifting women and making these girls feel seen and heard.” 

Reid and Riordan saw themselves in the girls and wanted to bridge the gap between interest and opportunity. “I was always interested in learning more,” said Reid, “but I was shy in school. I wish I’d had something like this.” 

Both Riordan and Reid chose to attend MSU because of the reputation of its construction management program. 

“Ever since then I feel I really found what I wanted to do,” Riordan said.  

The girls worked on tasks such as roofing, siding, and framing. “They got to try new things each month,” said Riordan. “APX helped finish what they started so they could see the progress.” 

Even those not pursuing trades grew in confidence.  

“At first, they were shy,” Riordan said. “By the end, they were using power tools and working independently.” 

Reid, entering her junior year, is interning with Knutson Construction and aims to become a project executive. Riordan is interning with Duininck Golf and plans to continue there after graduation. 

Despite progress, the gender gap in construction remains. “The gap is closing,” Reid said, “but starting young with programs like this is so beneficial." 

Riordan said she was gratified by the entire experience with the girls.

“For us to be able to go and talk to these girls and show them that there are options like this and there are people that look like them who find success in the industry, it was really cool for me to see.”