In Tampa, Fla., nearly 100 high school students got an exclusive glimpse into the world of construction this past Saturday morning, as they explored the ongoing Gasworx projects.

“It’s one thing to see something on a whiteboard, but it’s completely different to witness it in person,” remarked Luke Eggimann, a participating high school student.

The students were treated to a tour of the revitalization efforts in Ybor City, an integral part of Tampa’s ACE Mentor Program. In interviews with Channel 8, several students expressed their hope that the experience would bolster their confidence and prepare them for future careers in engineering.

Senior Justin Martinez shared, “I’ve been fascinated with building and designing since I was a kid, always playing with Legos. Joining ACE in high school confirmed my passion for architecture.”

Jose Romulton, the senior director of construction at Kettler, the company managing these projects, explained their aim to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the career paths available to them.

“For kids like that who are trying to follow a path and find that light at the end of the tunnel, this is more of an eye-opening experience for them of what the true professionals do and what that actually looks like,” said Romulton

Students say making the transition from the classroom to the workplace can be intimidating without the first-hand experience they get through a trip to the jobsite.

“It’s changed my decision a whole lot,” said Jeremy Bacon. “I came into the ACE program not really having the knowledge of what I wanted to do, and it turns out after the first year, I was able to pinpoint something much easier.”

The students we spoke with say they have plans to get a degree to further their careers in construction and engineering.

“There is a lot of job security, you can’t really replace it with AI,” said Eggimann. “It’s just always something I’ve had my eyes on.”

 Romulton says they have a few more years left on their projects. He says returning students will be able to get even more out of their experience if they come back next year and see what work they’ve been able to complete.