Future Builders Put Skills to the Test
Future Builders Put Skills to the Test
Sawdust swirled and power tools hummed as students wearing hard hats bustled between their half-built wooden structures.
“This is exactly what I want to be doing,” said Cameron Gomez, a senior at Rosamond High Early College Campus — one of the hundreds of high school students who participated in the Southern California Design Build Competition. “It’s so satisfying to build something with real purpose.”
Aspiring lineman Cameron Gomez and his team from Rosamond High Early College Campus construct a tiny house during the Design Build Competition.
During the annual event held by the Construction Industry Education Foundation (CIEF), school teams designed and built functional structures — garden sheds, rooftop coffee bars, playhouses — from scratch.
“It’s a chance for students to gain exposure to what it actually looks like to work in the trades,” said Jason Manion, CIEF’s events and youth programs manager. “We treat it like a real construction site and judge teams based on architectural design, building code, electrical work, creativity and safety.”
Through donations and sponsorships from organizations like Edison International Foundation, CIEF offered free participation and all building materials for the 40-plus competing schools.
“We’re focused on opening doors for students as they explore careers in construction and the electrical trades,” said Aja Clarke, Edison International director of Corporate Relations and Philanthropy.
Students measure, cut and assemble materials as their designs come to life on the competition floor.
An aspiring lineworker, Gomez’s interest in the trades stemmed from a childhood of helping his dad with home projects. He turned those lessons into something tangible at the competition, helping his team transform piles of raw materials into a tiny home outfitted with a bench.
“We wanted to get out of our comfort zone,” Gomez said. “It wasn’t just about building something — we wanted it to look clean, creative and useful.”
Teams also wanted to impress the industry professionals who volunteered as judges and mentors throughout the event. It worked.
“What these students are doing is beyond what I expected,” said Eric Glover, a safety manager with Associated Builders and Contractors Southern California, who volunteered as a competition judge. “My involvement is less about scoring and more about reinforcing what students are doing well with positive feedback and advice so they can finish safely.”
Cameron Gomez, joined by his construction teacher Paul Eisenzimmer (l) and CIEF’s events and youth programs manager Jason Manion (r), accepts a scholarship sponsored by Edison International Foundation that will help him take the next step toward the trades.
“It’s highly technical. You have to know how to measure, cut and build accurately,” added Paul Eisenzimmer, Rosamond High’s construction teacher. “But the bigger lesson is showing students that the trades can offer great careers.”
The competition capped off a pivotal year for Gomez, who received a $3,500 scholarship sponsored by Edison International Foundation — support that will help him enroll in Northwest Lineman College this fall. Gomez is just one of 3,000 students who benefited from the $35,000 that Edison International Foundation provided to CIEF within the past year for programming.
“It means a lot to get this support in my next steps,” he said. “When I see crews restoring power in my neighborhood, I think, ‘I could do that.’ I want to be someone people can count on.”
For more information on Edison International’s commitment to giving back, visit edison.com/community.