Braidyn Hudson never planned to study construction management. In high school, he excelled in math and science and enjoyed working with his hands. He thought he would end up in mechanical engineering or accounting. But two people helped him see a different future.
First, a neighbor who runs a contracting company in Evansville, Indiana, introduced Braidyn to the construction industry and the wide range of careers it offers. Then, his father, an architect, encouraged Braidyn to take a closer look at construction management.
Braidyn listened, and he hasn’t looked back since.
“I think my dad saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself,” says Braidyn, a senior construction management major with minors in business administration and accounting. “Since I’ve been studying construction management, I’ve loved every minute of it.”
Before coming to Indiana State, Braidyn attended a welding program at the Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center. He already had a job lined up, and college wasn’t part of the plan. Still, he decided to visit Indiana State, and something clicked.
The campus felt right. Not too big or too small, he says. Trusting his instincts, Braidyn decided to give college a chance.
He’s very glad he made that decision, because it has opened more doors than he ever imagined.
While Indiana State’s construction management program has provided a strong classroom foundation, internships have helped Braidyn see how the industry operates in the real world. After his first year, he joined BMWC Constructors, an industrial mechanical contractor, and worked at a plastics manufacturing plant in Evansville. There, he tracked labor hours, managed contracts, and gained a firsthand understanding of the systems that keep large construction projects moving.
The following summer, BMWC placed Braidyn on the estimating team for a $186 billion semiconductor manufacturing project in Phoenix. He spent the summer reviewing specifications, preparing takeoffs, and developing proposals for future work.
Then came his most immersive internship yet.
This past summer, Braidyn worked at an active data center project in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He handled purchasing and invoicing, tracked daily progress, and documented field updates to help identify potential issues before they became problems. He also organized complex work packages, sorting through isometric drawings and 3D models so construction crews could move efficiently through the data center.
“It was kind of just getting thrown into the fire of active work,” Braidyn says. “I was so glad I got to do that.”
Back on campus, Braidyn credits the construction management program for preparing him to succeed in each internship experience. Through coursework, he has gained skills in planning, scheduling, estimating, and understanding construction contracts. Those lessons have helped him develop the organizational and leadership skills needed to manage increasingly complex projects.
But the experiences that have had the biggest impact on his future took place outside the classroom.
“I feel the best thing that the construction management program has given me is access to extracurriculars and club activities,” Braidyn says. “That’s where I feel I’ve gained a majority of my knowledge about the industry.”
Braidyn is active in Indiana State’s Construction Club and the Sigma Lambda Chi Honors Construction Society. He was also part of the University’s first championship team in the Associated General Contractors of Indiana competition.
Today, he serves as president of Indiana State’s Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) chapter. In that role, he helps organize events, leads fundraising efforts, and coordinates one of the group’s largest annual commitments: a national proposal competition that challenges students to design and price a fictional construction project.
The organization’s success on the national stage has continued to grow during Braidyn’s time at Indiana State.
Last spring, Indiana State earned a top-four finish, advancing to present at the MCAA national convention in Phoenix. Teams were given 10 minutes to present their proposal and 10 minutes to answer questions from judges. Indiana State’s team took home first place for its proposal for a fictional water park project inspired by a Great Wolf Lodge-style resort.
The victory was historic. No Indiana school had ever won the competition.
Braidyn was also recognized individually with the competition’s Most Valuable Presenter award.
“It was a huge win for our school and for our team to get first place,” Braidyn says with a proud smile. “Now all the pressure’s back on us to go back this year and win again. We’re excited for it!”
Braidyn credits much of the team’s success to Indiana State’s faculty and the supportive culture within the Thompson Thrift Department of Construction Management.
“There’s a sense of community and pride in our department,” Braidyn comments. “No matter who you go to, someone’s going to help you find what you need. They want to see everybody succeed on their projects, or whatever they’re working on. We’re here for each other.”
Braidyn is now in his senior year, and he already has a job lined up after graduation in May. He’ll begin his career with BMWC as a project engineer, turning the experiences he’s gained in classrooms, internships, and competitions into a professional career.
For someone who never planned to study construction management, Braidyn is certainly excited for the future.
“The construction industry is thriving, especially in Terre Haute and throughout Indiana,” he says. “There are so many opportunities and ways to get involved that can put you ahead. It’s a great time to be a construction management major at Indiana State. Opportunities are everywhere.”