The last six years have been some of the most exciting and challenging for Colorado State University student Anastasia Sanchez. The rollercoaster ride is approaching a calmer stretch this spring when Sanchez earns her bachelor’s degree as an outstanding graduate of the CSU Department of Construction Management.
Sanchez was born and raised in Ukraine and came to the U.S. on a summer program to see the country and learn about American culture, as well as improve her English. The course of her life changed however when she ended up meeting her future husband in the U.S. and then settling in Colorado where she decided to continue her education.
‘The best university in Colorado’
“I come with a background in aircraft engineering, and that is why I wanted to continue learning how things get built,” said Sanchez. “Since I was completely new to the U.S., I needed help figuring out which university to choose. CSU was mentioned by several people as the best university in Colorado and that’s how my journey started at CSU.”
Sanchez started in the undeclared engineering interest program and after two semesters, she changed her major to construction management.
“I believe my love of construction has to do with my husband being an ironworker,” she said. “Listening to his stories from work made me realize how interested I was in the construction process.”
Life-changing events
Sanchez said deciding to join the Construction Management Program was the best decision she made. But her journey has not been without its challenges. She had to consider how to pay for college in the U.S. Additionally, in January 2022, her son Max was born. And, on February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, changing her life yet again. Sanchez feared for her family back home. Sanchez credits CSU for helping her persevere and succeed through this emotional time.
“The amount of support I received from faculty, industry, and the CSU administration is unbelievable! With becoming a mom in 2022 and my family getting into a war zone in Ukraine at the same time, I was devastated and was losing any hope,” she said. “The support I received from CSU and especially from the College of Health and Human Sciences, helped me return to pursuing my bachelor’s degree and be able to bring my mom to the United States to protect her from the war.”
Sanchez received scholarships from the Department of Construction Management and College of Health and Human Sciences, including the McCubbin Leadership Scholarship, which is supported by the former Dean, Jeff McCubbin, and his wife Debbie. She also received the departmental Eric T. Dimmick Memorial Scholarship, John L. Hachmeister Legacy Scholarship, and the American Society of Professional Estimators Denver Chapter 5 Scholarship.
“It was very stressful to realize how expensive my tuition was going to be, since in Ukraine my education was free,” she noted. “But the resources I received in order to assist me with expenses have helped me succeed in the program.”
Student involvement greases the rails
While at CSU, Sanchez took advantage of every opportunity to gain industry experience and to grow. She had two internships, where she worked with “awesome” mentors in the construction industry. She was involved in several clubs, such as Women in Construction and the Associated General Contractors student chapter where she expanded her industry connections.
“I will always be grateful for the opportunities I received while studying in CM,” she said. “I obtained a great amount of experience in the Construction Management Program.”
She was a part of EMPOWER, a mentoring program for women joining the construction industry, where at first, she was a mentee, matched with an industry mentor and a senior student mentor. Later, she served as a mentor for a freshman in the program.
Sanchez says her best experience was taking part in the Associated Schools of Construction competition, and she credits the construction management faculty for their role in the team’s success.
“I was on the Preconstruction competition team, and we won first and second place in the last two years,” said Sanchez. “Construction management faculty are the most knowledgeable and experienced people I have ever met. I feel fortunate to learn from them.”
Journeying forward
After graduation in May, Sanchez is excited to begin her career with JHL Constructors as a field engineer. She leaves behind many memories of her time at CSU, including some of the quirks of attending classes in the historic Guggenheim Hall and the Preconstruction Center on the northeast side of campus where the train horn blasts regularly.
“I am definitely going to miss my time at CSU. I will miss that train passing by every day during lectures, I will miss that knocking sound from the steam heat pipes in Guggenheim,” she said. “But I am very excited starting this new chapter in my life and facing new challenges that CSU has prepared me for.”
She may be leaving the daily train whistle behind, but the exciting journey continues for Sanchez.
The Department of Construction Management is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
