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IBS Scholarships an Eye-Opener for Drexel Students
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The Drexel six at the International Builders' Show. |
 A half-dozen construction management students at Drexel University in Philadelphia gained “hands-on” knowledge of their potential home building careers thanks to a grant from the Richard Goodwin/National Housing Endowment Scholarship Fund that enabled them to attend the International Builders’ Show in Orlando in February.
Goodwin ― a builder, developer, community activist and Drexel alumnus from New Jersey — established the grant in 1997 to benefit construction management students at the Goodwin College of Professional Studies.
All the students, and the faculty member who accompanied them, said they were impressed with the scale and depth of the International Builders’ Show and the outside-the-classroom knowledge about the industry they gained.
“The show was amazing ― and much bigger than I had expected,” said Adam Paul, who retired from the U.S. Air Force and is now studying residential construction. “I had many interesting conversations with vendors on the show floor in every area imaginable. There is so much knowledge and expertise gathered in one place, it’s hard not to learn something.”
“I learned about all of the new and innovative products on the market today,” said Tyler Grace, a junior in residential construction. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Former Marine and current residential construction student Michael Palandro said the show enabled him to gain “a greater understanding of the options available to home builders. I plan on using this new-found knowledge in my endeavors after graduation,” he said.
Ario Rivera, the son of a Philadelphia architect, said that IBS “is something that everyone who intends on entering residential construction should see in order to understand the magnitude of research and development that goes into making the industry more efficient.”
 Hans Christen Stitzinger, a junior at Drexel, agreed, saying that the grant provided "an educational opportunity I would not have been able to experience on my own.”
Earlier this year during a meeting at IBS, the endowment's board of trustees voted to allocate $100,000 for students to attend the 2009 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas. The new funding doubles the student scholarships awarded to attend IBS this year — the first year of the program.
The scholarships enable NAHB Student Chapter members to offset some or all of their travel and attendance expenses at IBS. More than 140 students and 31 home builders associations applied for the scholarships this year.
Applications for scholarships to attend the 2009 International Builders’ Show will be available online in early fall. Students will be able to apply for $500 scholarships. State and local HBAs will be able to apply for matching funds up to $2,500.
For updates and other endowment scholarship information, visit the endowment's Web site at www.nationalhousingendowment.org.
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