How Saying Yes to Opportunities Kick-Started Alexis's Career in Construction Management
May 12, 2026 / Lexi Velte / Tags: Student of the Year, construction management
For FGCU student Alexis Figueroa-Baltazar, construction management has been a part of life for as long as he can remember.
Named the 2026 WCE Undergraduate Student of the Year, Figueroa-Baltazar grew up visiting construction sites with his father, watching him install tile and pick up materials for projects. By the summer before high school, Figueroa-Baltazar was working alongside him to help support his family. He spent nearly every summer, holiday break, and weekend gaining hands-on experience in residential construction.
Although Figueroa-Baltazar, born in Naples and raised in Immokalee, was familiar with FGCU, college was not always part of the plan. That changed after conversations with local construction superintendents who encouraged him to pursue the university’s construction management program.
Then, just months before his high school graduation, everything changed. A serious car accident left Figueroa-Baltazar with a shattered left femur and forced him to reconsider whether college was still possible.
“I had to push the pace,” he said. “How am I going to go to school for construction when I can’t walk through the job site?”
Determined to stay on course, Figueroa-Baltazar focused on recovery with the support of his family. With his father’s help, he was walking again after just 20 days and climbing stairs by day 28.
Learning by Saying Yes
One of Figueroa-Baltazar’s first major milestones came at the 2024 Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Conference, where he presented research as the only undergraduate among Ph.D. and master’s students.
“It was the first time I worked on a paper. I was very green,” he said, “but the networking was amazing. Every single one of the professors that I talked to gave me their card saying, ‘Talk to me when you’re about to graduate.’”
The experience gave him confidence to begin stepping outside his comfort zone.
That mindset carried into the 2025 ABC Competition, where Figueroa-Baltazar tackled commercial construction for the first time after years of residential experience. He took the lead on the team’s Quality section and quickly immersed himself in learning from industry professionals.
“For someone who didn’t know anything about it, I was able to understand it all, ask questions when I needed to, and ended up making a really good product,” he said.
His efforts helped FGCU earn its first award in the competition and significantly improve on the team’s previous performance.
Building More Than Projects
Figueroa-Baltazar is equally proud of the work he has done strengthening FGCU’s Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) student chapter.
When he stepped into a leadership role, he had little guidance and often had to figure things out independently. Now, thanks in part to his efforts, the organization has a full officer lineup for the first time.
“We’re building the network more between the students and the industry,” he said. “It’s very rewarding.”
That focus on connection has become central to how Figueroa-Baltazar defines success.
“One conversation is enough to do so much,” he said. “It is so valuable if you show up just once. Industry professionals remember it.”
One conversation is enough to do so much. It is so valuable if you show up just once. Industry professionals remember it."
Learning from Industry Experience
Figueroa-Baltazar credits adjunct professor Steven Mendoza as one of his most influential mentors.
Mendoza, who works for Skanska, brought real-world materials into the classroom and gave students hands-on opportunities to assemble components they would encounter on active job sites.
“He was able to give us real life examples and show us the type of work he used to do,” Figueroa-Baltazar said. Those examples helped him understand how everything fits together in the field.
Advice for Future Students
Figueroa-Baltazar encourages other students to take chances, even when they feel unprepared.
“Try something new,” he said. “It doesn’t mean get the best results in everything, but it means giving your best shot. Every opportunity has different skills that you can learn.”
Building What Comes Next
After graduation, Figueroa-Baltazar will begin his career as a Project Engineer with Suffolk Construction while pursuing a master’s degree in civil engineering with a concentration in construction management at FGCU.
He hopes to continue researching artificial intelligence in construction, mentor future FGCU students through the alumni network, teach as an adjunct professor one day, and, of course, keep saying yes to new opportunities.
