Pursuing a path to success
Chase Farnsworth
Chase Farnsworth has been involved in construction since he was 14. He likes to work with his hands and discovered that a degree in construction management offered a meaningful career path. He says that the Del E. Webb School of Construction at ASU was a natural choice—close proximity to family and one of the top programs in the nation.
“It was one of the top five when I started, and is now ranked even higher,” he says.
Chase is a recent graduate. He has been working for a general contractor in commercial construction, and plans to continue on this path, maybe eventually opening his own company.
During his time at ASU, Chase took full advantage of opportunities to broaden his experience beyond the classroom through internships and membership in several student organizations.
Citing the Associated General Contractors Chapter (AGC) at ASU as an example, Chase says, “AGC provides great opportunities to team up with local contractors to provide service to the community and learn at the same time.” In one project, the team completely gutted and rebuilt a home for a Valley-area family in two weeks.
He was also part of the Associated Schools of Construction Reno competition, where college teams from across the country came together to compete and get a better understanding of how a construction project comes into existence. Each team received a project description. They had less than 24 hours to research and put together a bid then give a presentation to their fictional client. The “client” was actually the contractor who did the work described in the bid. After the presentations were complete, the contractor gave an overview of the actual process and results of the project.
Chase’s other memberships include Sigma Lambda Chi the construction honor society, which he notes as a great source for developing leadership skills, and the Golden Key International Honor Society which represents the top 15 percent of students attending ASU.
It’s no surprise that Chase recommends getting involved. He says the School “provides a lot of opportunities, but not everyone takes advantage of them.” Through his experience, he says he came away with skills, an understanding of the engineering behind construction, systems knowledge and hands-on, practical experience.
