CWC Intern and Howard University Student, Dallas Brooks
Brooks said, “It's very empowering to be a part of the change I want to see at Howard. There is a housing shortage, so this project will not only help graduate students, but will also allow Howard to fundraise and further contribute to the students.”
Dallas Brooks with another CWC Project Engineer intern and Preconstruction intern at the Langley School in McLean VA.
The exterior of the multifamily construction project, 2711 Georgia Ave building at Howard University in Washington, DC.
Multifamily Project at Howard University
Dallas Brooks is a project engineer intern working on CWC's 2711 Georgia Avenue multifamily project at Howard University. A rising junior at Howard University pursuing an architecture degree, Brooks chose this internship to gain experience and a perspective in construction and determine if she would like to take her architecture expertise to this direction.
Exploring a Career in Construction
Growing up, Brooks enjoyed watching “home and garden” shows and helping her father around the house with several different home projects. Such activities led her to study architecture in college. Both of Brooks' parents are engineers, but that has not stopped her from wanting to experience the construction world for herself. Last semester, Brooks took a construction course that taught her the fundamentals of the field, but still eager to learn more, she chose to intern for Coakley & Williams Construction this summer.
Talents Collide at Howard University
Aside from her studies, Brooks is involved with several activities at Howard University, including the National Society of Black Engineers and the Undergraduate Student Assembly, a group of student ambassadors that plan and host events and community service activities for the school. She also gets to apply her skills and experience learned through this internship for the school's benefit by working on CWC's multifamily construction project adjacent to Howard's campus. The project includes 90 rental units and will house office space for Howard University.
Classmates at Howard University to Colleagues at CWC
Brooks learned about the CWC Summer internship program through her Howard University classmate and CWC Summer intern, Solomon Alvarez-Gibson. Both interns study architecture and have had several classes together, and also work at 2711 Georgia Avenue. Brooks enjoys working with Solomon because they teach each other different aspects of the construction industry and can help each other enhance and learn more about the professional culture at CWC.