Connecticut Building Congress recognizes young scholars

CBC Scholarship Fund Vice President John Hawley with scholarship recipients Tanya Gianitsos, Morgan Daley, Mathieu Letendre, Tessa Carty and Yael Canaan.

The Connecticut Building Congress Scholarship Fund presented renewable scholarships to five of Connecticut”™s graduating high school seniors at its 22nd Annual Project Team Awards Banquet. Three $2,000 and two $3,000 scholarships were awarded at the event held at the Bond Ballroom in Hartford on June 12.

The awards are based on academic merit, extracurricular activities, career potential and financial need. Applications are accepted only from Connecticut residents who will be studying towards a two- or four-year degree related to the design and construction industry.

The 2018 Connecticut Building Congress Scholarship Fund recipients are:

Yael Canaan of New Haven, Tessa Carty of Norwich, Tanya Gianitsos of Old Saybrook, Morgan Daley of Norfolk and Mathieu Letendre of Berlin. Thomas DiBlasi, president of the Connecticut Building Congress Scholarship Fund, and president of DiBlasi Associates, a structural engineering firm based in Monroe, commenting on the value of the scholarships, said, “Encouraging young people to enter the design and construction industry is very important to the success of the state and national economy. We currently are experiencing a workforce shortage on nearly every level. Engineering, architecture and construction management, in particular, compete for students with high tech, science and medical fields.”

“Our industry is also battling a stigma associated with being a skilled construction laborer, such as an electrician, plumber or mason,” DiBlasi said. “This is where the industry has the biggest need right now. That is why we are looking into expanding our scholarships offerings to technical schools for high school graduates and adult learners. We realize college isn”™t for everyone. You can earn a great living and support a family as a skilled laborer, without incurring the skyrocketing costs of a conventional college education.”

The Connecticut Building Congress Scholarship Fund, founded in 1973, is financed through generous donations from CBC members and the annual Connecticut Building Congress Golf Outing Fund raiser.