鈥淚 plan to be a project engineer for a general contractor,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 would like to work in Little Rock or anywhere in Arkansas would be great, and I鈥檓 also looking forward to traveling as the construction industry has a lot of opportunities to do so.鈥�

Carter will be graduating with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in architectural engineering and construction management. As part of preparation for her career, she鈥檚 had multiple internships at great companies around Little Rock, including CDI Contractors, Iconic Consulting Group, and Platinum Drywall.

鈥淧art of the degree is that we get 800 hours of work experience before we graduate,鈥� Carter said. 鈥淚 wanted to get experience from everywhere so I would know what I would do in my career. At CDI Contractors, I worked as a project engineer, field engineer, and with the Pre-Construction Estimating Group. I worked on a project at the 糖心Vlog传媒MS Generator Building that had giant generators that produced massive amounts of energy.  I had never worked on anything like that in my life, and it was amazing.鈥�

On campus, she is a student leader who serves as a student ambassador in 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 College of STEM, secretary of the Society of Women Engineers, and secretary of Arkansas General Contractors. She鈥檚 also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and Sigma Lambda Chi Construction Honor Society.

When she鈥檚 not interning or studying, Carter likes to lend a hand to good causes. She鈥檚 served as a volunteer at Arkansas Children鈥檚 Hospital, Museum of Discovery, Arkansas Foodbank, Wildwood Park for the Arts, Chenal Elementary School, and 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock STEM events.

Carter feels that it鈥檚 especially important to honor women who have been successful in the construction industry to inspire current students like herself.

鈥淚 really love that there are women professors in construction management because  they can understand your point of view and perspective on certain things and simply make your college career so much better by having these role models like you,鈥� Carter said. 鈥淧rofessor Dr. Anne Turner has been so helpful throughout my whole college experience. I think that it鈥檚 great that we talk about Women in Construction Week. It鈥檚 good to expose everybody to the fact that there are women in construction who are successful and can get the job done.鈥�

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鈥淚 read a book by James Michener called 鈥楾he Drifters,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淚t made me want to travel and experience the world.鈥�

That is exactly how Schlesier spent the next decade of her life. She attended bartending school in Las Vegas and worked across the country in states like New Jersey, Louisiana, and Florida. By 28, Schlesier had enough of her nomadic lifestyle and was reconsidering college.

鈥淓verything in my life had been living in my car or a hotel room or bouncing all over the place,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was a very nomadic, exciting lifestyle, but I had no roots.鈥�

She moved back to Arkansas and enrolled as an engineering major at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in 2015. She was actively involved 鈥� working two jobs while taking a full load of classes and serving as president of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a member of the Society of Women Engineers.

By 2017, Schlesier had decided to stop studying engineering, but her time in this field led her to find her love of construction management. Already an intern at W&W|AFCO Steel, Schlesier landed a full-time position as an estimator.

鈥淚 was watching and learning and observing,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 got hired as an estimator, and then I got really good at it, and I didn鈥檛 want to do anything else. Construction is for me.鈥�

Schlesier would spend the next four years working as a steel bridge fabrication estimator before joining C & F Steel Erectors, Inc. as a structural steel erection preconstruction manager and estimator. In 2018, Schlesier decided to transfer to the construction management program at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.

鈥淭he biggest thing I took away from my construction management degree is the power of networking,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y life and career transformed with a little bit of effort. These people and these organizations will accept you with open arms and give you a job to do. The doors that were opening for me left and right were unbelievable.鈥�

A big proponent of the power of professional development, Schlesier is serving as the director of NAWIC (National Association of Women in Construction) Greater Little Rock and chair of the Student Chapter Committee with AGC (Associated General Contractors) Association of Arkansas.

It was during an AGC event, a baggo tournament, that she met Courtney Little, president and general counsel of ACE Glass Construction Corporation, and the two discussed a new research and development position. Last year, Schlesier hit the ground running as ACE Glass鈥檚 new director of research and development.

鈥淭his is a super cool new area for Arkansas,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are not a lot of research and development positions in construction in the south. Our president, Courtney Little, has all of these ideas to bring items to Arkansas to help the construction industry and to improve upon patents that currently exist but could be streamlined and made better. My job is to take all of these ideas, find the right people, and bring this vision to fruition. I am the puzzle solver. I have my whole office decorated like Alice in Wonderland because I am down the rabbit hole. Everything I work on is imaginary until we bring it to life.鈥�

Some of the projects she鈥檚 working on is an electrically conductive glass that repels dust, a lightweight foamed glass aggregate for use in highway construction, and a wood curtain wall system for use in residential and commercial buildings that can be created from locally sourced Arkansas pine trees.

Schlesier said that she is hoping her work with these professional development organizations will encourage more women to go major in construction management.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a great time to work in construction management!鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are so many great people and organizations. I am excited about the future of the industry and what we are gearing up to accomplish. The people in this industry are some of the most passionate, compassionate, driven people I鈥檝e met in my lifetime, and you often become like the people you associate yourself with!鈥�

Schlesier is dedicated to helping build the next generation of women in the construction industry. She has volunteered at women in STEM events at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and gives talks to high school classes.

While she is currently the only research and development associate in her area at ACE Glass, Schlesier has plans of building a department of talented and innovative R&D employees.

鈥淩ight now, it鈥檚 just me, but I鈥檇 like to hire engineers and analysts to fill a new research and development department,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 would like to make that a lifelong career and be able to manage my team to success. My most immediate goal is to make R&D a profitable venture within two years. Working at ACE Glass gives me the opportunity to continue to be involved with all the organizations. For me, it allows me to continue my networking and donating my time and my skills to the community. I really love to be able to do that. It鈥檚 really rewarding.鈥�

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