A Building Construction Story Worth Telling

Bridges to Prosperity: Tyler's Story

 

Tyler Edwards, a rising junior in Building Construction, has embodied Virginia Tech's motto Ut Prosim while   employing his academic training to help others. He is the Project Manager of Virginia Tech's chapter of Bridges to Prosperity, a service organization that builds footbridges in developing nations to meet the local community's needs.

Tyler Edwards, a rising junior in Building Construction, has embodied Virginia Tech's motto Ut Prosim while employing his academic training to help others. He is the Project Manager of Virginia Tech's chapter of Bridges to Prosperity, a service organization that builds footbridges in developing nations to meet the local community's needs. Tyler explained that, "the Project Manager position for Bridges to Prosperity is, in many ways, comparable to the responsibilities of a professional in the construction management industry. These responsibilities range from construction oversight, quantity take-offs, building schedule development, materials procurement, topographic surveying, and the creation of a construction logistics plan for the bridge. The field experience that I have gained through three years of interning with W.M. Jordan Company, coupled with the education that I have received from the Myers-Lawson School of Construction, has afforded me the knowledge necessary to undertake this dream."

This past Thanksgiving, Tyler traveled to Lougou, Haiti to take part in building the Lougou Bridge, a 54-meter long suspended footbridge over the Cavaillon River. Tyler stated that, "this bridge will save the lives of many people; no longer will parents wonder if their children will safely return from school.  No longer will fathers and mothers need to risk their lives during the floodwaters of the rainy season for their jobs, healthcare, and livestock." The expected traffic for this bridge is 200 people per day, which shows the impact that this bridge will have on the locals who need to cross the Cavaillon River in the future. Tyler and his club members are looking forward to starting their next bridge project in Guatemala early this fall.

Watch Ut Prosim for Mankind, B2PVT's latest video (below), and check out their website if you are interested in joining, donating, or following the club!



 
 

I had to post this article not only because it's features my twenty year old son, but it's also a great story. It's a story about new construction, not your typical story about building in the U.S., and not your typical story about college kids today. We should be proud of their volunteerism and hard work for a good cause.
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Sometimes We Do Learn Things From Our Kids

Sometimes We Do Learn Things From Our Kids. In the past few days, I've learned a lot from my sons, Tyler and Will (19 and 16 years old). I learned about their love for their friend who died Sunday, and about how they feel about one another and their friends. Live life to the fullest, enjoy every day of your life, don't sweat the small stuff, share good times with your friends and family, tell your friends you love them, learn to fly when you can...these are a few lessons that I have learned from my son, Tyler, who paid a tribute to his good friend, Ian Burgett, yesterday at Ian's funeral. Over 500 people showed up for this highly emotional funeral for an 18 year old Smithfield, Virginia high school senior, who was in a tragic car accident, early Sunday morning.

Tyler's friend, Ian, touched many lives in our small town, and he had a profound effect on the hundreds of friends that knew Ian. We will miss him dearly. I have posted Tyler's speech that he read to everyone yesterday...



My Ray of Sunshine; Ian Michael Burgett by Tyler Edwards

A subtle reminder of life’s everyday gifts can make all of the difference in how we live our lives and who we are as people. Today, I want to reflect. No, not in the sense of sorrow-filled remembrance, rather, I want to reflect my ray of sunshine, my memories of a person that serve as a source of charm, humor, compassion, and everyday miracles.


As we gather here today, I pray that we can see the silver lining that lies within my friend’s heart of gold. After all, Ian wouldn’t have it any other way. Ian’s radiant smile and glowing optimism has left an act that I’m afraid no one can follow. In fact, his happy-go-lucky nature can be summarized by my experiences with him on a sailboat. It was an extremely windy day (to say the least) and just as we were turning the boat, a roaring, howling wind lifted the boat out of the water, pre-empting the imminent demise of our dry clothing. Naturally, I panicked and worsened the situation. Meanwhile, Ian leaned over the rising side of the boat to act as a counter-balance to the forces of the wind. The boat quickly righted, and he uttered his proverbial catch phrase, “Don’t worry guys, I got this,” coupled with a perfectly timed flip of the hair…

It was then I realized that even the most minute acts of humor and optimism can amount to bright memories that turn into priceless treasures. These treasures that Ian has left us serve as a testament to his loving and giving nature. His spare time over the summers was spent helping those in need as he volunteered at the Riverside Hospital. For the 18 years that I knew Ian, I had never once heard him ask for anything in return for his acts of kindness, nor had I heard him complain. His generous soul can be attributed to his willingness to seek guidance and advice from his mother, father, friends, teachers; and especially the one he idolized the most; his brother…

Ian had a nag for brightening days with so much as a smile and a witty joke that always drew laughter. His calm yet charismatic voice commanded the room. His unparalleled charm has captured the hearts of all who have met him. Needless to say, he did this a little too well. I don’t want to speak for others, but Ian could literally convince me to do anything; including convincing me to happily pay for his McDoubles whenever we stopped at McDonalds.

Ian’s closest friends can attest to his uncanny ability to read body language and emotions. Ian was the best friend, brother, and son that anyone could ask for: he was always there to catch the first tear before it even had a chance to hit the ground…

It is for these reasons that Ian is my ray of sunshine. As the days go by, I will always treasure the memories that my friend that I love has given me. It is said that it takes seven years for rays from the sun to reach our planet… Correct me if I’m wrong, but if Ian was 18 years old, that’s at least 126 years of memories until I have to crack into all of the pictures and videos that he stars in.

I hope that we can all cherish a piece of Ian’s legacy in our hearts. Use it as guidance and solace. Who knows? Maybe those memories will hold us over until we can one day see him again.



Tyler Edwards (far left), 19 years old, is a freshman at Virginia Tech and is majoring in Building Construction. Ian Burgett (blue vest) was 18 years old, graduating from Nansemond Suffolk Academy this month, and was heading to James Madison University this fall.

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