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KENT Alumni: The Power to Serve
By Sarah Culver-Maas, courtesy of Kent News |
Kent students know that endless opportunities to help our community surround them. In one year, hundreds of teens from our student body will contribute to life in and around the village and even the nation. Some Kent students, however, still labor to assist and rebuild after tragedies well after they graduate from Kent.
One Kent Alumnus, Matthew Johannessen, ’02, has been working on the construction of the new freedom tower and the other structures that are to be built on Ground Zero in New York City. Johannessen first joined the construction firm Parsons Brinckerhoff as an intern, and worked his way up the ranks and was later assigned to be assistant project manager for the World Trade Center Construction Project. As Johannessen tells us, an assistant project manager is “one of many who help to oversee and complete small portions of the entire project.” Assistant project managers will often budget the amount of time that will be necessary for his or her portion of the project, creating logical steps in order to effectively complete it time. They will also use sophisticated technology to create estimates and schedules. Johannessen assists in the “smooth running” of the project. In other words, Johannessen works on a segment of the work, helping to make it accommodating for the other segments of the project.
The World Trade Center Construction Project is based on the endeavor of building the Freedom Tower, a tower called 7 World Trade Center, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, the World Trade Center Memorial and Museum, and additional towers simply called World Trade Centers 2, 3 and 4. Each building is unique, with special designs by multiple people. Every design is approved by Port Authority and the NYPD. Each tower has a unique design that challenges the construction firm, making its completion reliant on the skills and ideas of the project managers and assistant project managers.
When asked about how to perceive the “competitive world” and stand out, Johannessen gives the advice, “Don’t be afraid to be different… leverage your network connections and have ideas to add to your connections… Don’t be afraid to voice your opinions.” As a former Kent student, Johannessen says, “My years as a junior and senior at Kent were more challenging than my first two years of college; Kent teaches you time management and how to work hard.”
Kent students know what is expected of them, and realize the importance of the Kent education. Kent alumni carry this idea with them, which helps to benefit their community. Furthermore, the knowledge they gain here helps to make them stand out and further benefits them when they are on the search for their specific vocations. Johannessen is just one example of the multitudes of Kent alumni who go on to assist out their communities, utilizing their strong backgrounds in academics and ambition to find their own niche in the competitive world. As Johannessen shows, Kent gives the proper preparation for any daunting task that may lie ahead.
