For Cal State Fullerton civil engineering graduates David Fulivai, Thomas “TJ” McGrath and Joel Bayquen, their participation in the ECS Construction Collaborative helped launch their careers — landing them jobs after graduation.
Through the Class of 2025 grads’ participation in the collaborative, they are prepared to meet the demand for professionals in the construction industry.
The career-focused program within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is an umbrella organization for students interested in construction and design, bridging the gap between theory and practice.
“Students get the opportunity to interact with industry professionals firsthand,” said faculty adviser Hakob Avetisyan, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. “The demand for students prepared to enter the construction workforce is huge and growing.”
Fulivai is joining Jacobs, which provides engineering, technical, professional and construction services.
At his new job in the company’s program and construction management division, he will support the Port of Long Beach Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility. As a student, Fulivai interned in the construction management division at the Long Beach port.
“The construction concepts and skills that I learned from being involved in the collaborative helped to prepare me for my career in the construction field,” Fulivai said.
McGrath will start as a field engineer at Hensel Phelps, a general contractor and construction company. He interned last summer with the company, which also awarded him a scholarship to complete his CSUF education.
After serving four years in the Marine Corps, McGrath began working in the construction industry in 2016.
“I pursued college to elevate myself to a place where I could help not only myself but the community as a whole,” he said.
Bayquen aspires to a career in project management and has a job lined up at Bergman Construction, a general contractor.
“My experience in the collaborative taught me how to lead, communicate effectively and manage projects with skills that are directly applicable to the construction industry,” Bayquen said. “It gave me a strong foundation, which is essential as I move into my career.”
The collaborative brings together three student organizations: the Construction Engineering and Management Association, Construction Management Association of America and Design-Build Institute of America.
Fulivai, McGrath and Bayquen, all leaders in the student organizations who earned bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering, worked with Avetisyan to launch the cocurricular collaborative last year. The team focused on building student participation, which grew to over 50 students this year.
Avetisyan said the collaborative equips students with a skill set beyond classroom learning to prepare them for their careers. Skills include construction practices, management, scheduling and estimating the cost of residential, industrial, commercial and heavy civil — like bridges and roads — projects.
“Through the collaborative, I’ve learned different skills not taught in the classroom environment,” McGrath said.
With the guidance of Avetisyan and Alex Choperena, associate director of development, students in the collaborative raised over $35,000 from industry partners and the Engineering and Computer Science Inter-Club Council. Industry supporters include the Southern California Contractors Association, Pankow, Gray, FlatironDragados, Snyder Langston and Whiting-Turner.
The collaborative continues seeking financial support from industry partners to provide funding for student participation in competitions and programming for skill-based learning, mentorship and industry engagement.
Plans include increasing team participation at the Associated Schools of Construction Student Competition and Construction Management Conference in Reno, Nevada. This year, five student teams competed in the national competition, participating in real-world construction- and design-related activities.
“The ECS Construction Collaborative is doing more than building résumés — it’s building futures,” Fulivai said.
To support the ECS Construction Collaborative, visit the donation website; or contact Alex Choperena, associate director of development, at achoperena@fullerton.edu.