Nicholas Chase

When Nicholas Chase enrolled at Purdue University North Central he wasn’t quite sure what direction his career would take.

The Chesterton resident knew he wanted to work in the construction field, and he knew a degree would provide an opportunity to work in a management position. After speaking with some friends who were already enrolled at PNC, he thought it would be a good fit for him.

He was right. Chase earned his bachelor’s degree in Construction Engineering & Management Technology in May. And he is employed as an assistant project manager with Danny’s Construction Company, Inc.

“I decided to continue my education to give myself an opportunity to work in a management position,” Chase explained. “When I first entered college I wasn’t totally sure what I wanted to do in the construction field. But as I’ve gained experience and knowledge, I found my desired career path.”

Chase started working with Danny’s Construction with a summer internship. He quickly found himself assigned to a major construction project –a 60-story high-rise at 300 North LaSalle St., in downtown Chicago. Then in the second semester of his junior year, he had another tremendous opportunity when he began work on a 16-story addition to Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

He hopes to someday become a project manager with his company.

Chase admits that it wasn’t always easy balancing work and school.

“When I started at PNC, I worked from 3 to 9 a.m. at UPS in Westville and then went to school in the afternoon. After a year of this I started working in Chicago. It was tough to try and balance my time and I often had to sacrifice my personal life,” he said. “I feel these experiences helped put everything into perspective and helped me mature a lot over the last few years. The main thing I learned through this was proper time management.”

As a student, he appreciated the continued support of his professors, particularly Thomas Dobrowski, assistant professor of Building Construction Management Technology and Martha Garcia-Saenz, associate professor of Building Construction Management Technology.

“Their help and advice helped to put me in the position I am now,” Chase says without hesitation. “Both have been instrumental in my success at PNC, I would not have been able to accomplish my goals without their help.”

Given a chance to reflect on the past few years, Chase is happy with the choices he’s made and looks forward to what’s ahead.

“College has been an absolutely positive experience in my life as it is anyone who attends college,” he said. “I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge and countless memorable experiences. If you’re thinking of college, don’t be afraid if you don’t exactly what you would like to do, everything will fall into place in time. Anyone contemplating college should definitely give it a try.”

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