jada jones

Jada knew that when she graduated from high school, she wanted to pursue a degree in engineering, but she wasn’t exactly sure what specific field.  When she enrolled at North Carolina State University shortly after high school graduation, they offered a first-year program that allowed her to explore different engineering paths.  She says that this was a great way for her to confirm which path was the right one for her.  She found that construction and design is what interested her most and she went on to successfully complete her bachelor's degree in construction engineering.  

Jada says that being a woman in the construction industry hasn’t always been easy.  She has never explicitly felt out of place but at times she has felt sexualized and on occasion is flirted with by tradesmen in the field although she says it hasn’t been to a point where she has felt disrespected.  She says that she was fortunate enough to have interned throughout college and then go on to work full time for a great company that not only embraces who she is as a woman but more importantly as a Black woman.  She says that she isn’t afraid to admit that she has her hair curled under her hardhat and she keeps her lip gloss in her pocket so she can retouch it throughout the day because that is what makes her happy and makes her feel good about herself and it in no way takes away from her ability to do her job.  

If she could go back in time and give her 18-year-old self some advice, Jada says that advice would be to make more lasting relationships and connections in college, both personal and professional.  College it the only time in life where you are surrounded by so much raw creativity, ingenuity and youthful positivity which has the potential to change the course of the world.  Be sure to soak up as much of that as you possibly can because it will only help add value to who you become in your professional career.  

Jada says that she has had several people help her get to where she is today; most notably her parents and her boyfriend, Yeremiyah.  Since she was a little girl, her parents have always guided her and allowed her to have her own opinions and think through what she wanted while encouraging her to use her voice.  She feels this is essential to any person, but especially to a woman.  In order to be successful, and even more important happy, you must be confident, strong, and actively map out your life.  Her parents and her boyfriend have always allowed Jada to be Jada and to explore every facet of what that means.  Although Jada can look back and see how far she has come, she still feels that she is continuously learning something new every day and she doesn’t shy away from exploring new things.  The best of Jada is still to come, and she is going to continue to find joy in the journey while helping encourage other women to do the same!