Women in Construction: Sara Ashback

According to the National Association of Women in Construction, women make up a mere 9.1% nationally of the construction industry—that’s approximately 1 woman to every 10 men who enter the construction industry. Bremik Construction is committed to changing those numbers. In our new Women in Construction blog series, we’ll highlight the amazing women we already have in the field and hopefully bring awareness to various options women have in choosing the construction path.

Sara grew up around construction; her dad was a carpenter, and it instilled an early love of the built environment. After attending a children’s summer camp on bridge design, she decided her dream job when she grew up would be that of a civil engineer. True to her childhood dream, she ended up studying civil engineering when she started college at Montana State University; however, once she actually interned as an engineer, she decided to change her career trajectory and pursue construction.

Sara’s favorite part of construction is the variety. She loves that whenever she grows tired of working at a computer, she can step outside and still be doing her job. The thing she is most passionate about is being in the field daily and finding opportunities to work directly with the crew when they arise.

Though Sara loves her career path, the journey hasn’t been without its own challenges. “I’ve quickly found that having a college degree doesn’t necessarily mean that I know things. I have learned much more about this industry from first- and second-term apprentices than I did in four years of school,” she says. “It was also difficult to learn on my feet while my mentor was out on maternity leave, but everyone is always willing to answer questions.”

Whenever Sara isn’t working, you’re bound to find her outdoors. “Reading a book on the patio while grilling dinner is my favorite way to end a summer day,” she says.