BRIDGIT (wicw)

BRIDGIT SCHOFIELD

CONTRACTS MANAGER

1. What is your experience in construction? What made you interested in this industry?
I love the construction industry. My father has been working in the construction industry for 26 years, and I grew up hearing what a wonderful industry it is. Cooper Steel is my first personal exposure to this industry, and I have been here for almost 4-years now. It is an incredible feeling to see a project from start to finish and to know that you played a part in facilitating it. I also love the people I work with- I spent a couple of years as a Project Coordinator and then moved into the legal department in my current role as the Contracts Manager. By having roles in different departments at Cooper Steel, I've been able to get to know and work with some truly wonderful people. I currently have the pleasure of working for Elizabeth Burris, and she has taught me so much in this field and is an incredible woman and role model.

2. Who inspires you most?
My parents are my greatest inspiration for my career. As a child, I watched my mother finish college with a family at home and become successful during a time when gender equality wasn’t as prominent. Her perseverance in the face of adversity taught me that no matter what challenges life throws at me, I can do anything I want to do with hard work and dedication. My father raised me to believe I was just as strong and capable as my brothers, and he never let me feel less because I was a girl. I was his hunting, fishing, and football buddy, and he taught me how to work on my car and house. They saw my potential before I even knew it existed. At the most difficult point in my life, I decided to achieve my dream and put myself through law school while raising three children as a single mom, and my parents encouraged and supported me throughout my entire journey.

I am inspired by all successful and hard-working women, especially those who do it while raising a family. Being a working mom is the hardest, yet most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. I feel so blessed that God led me to an organization that doesn’t see me for my gender, but for my work ethic. I am also blessed that my husband encourages and supports my dreams. My goal is to be an asset to Cooper Steel and help make it the very best it can be. My hope is that I pass on the same values to my children and my peers that were passed on to me: no matter who you are or what adversity you face, you can achieve your goals through hard work, dedication, and practicing the Golden Rule. I try to be the best version of myself in every role of my life; employee, mother, wife, daughter, friend, sister, and Christian. In the words of another inspirational woman, “I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability” (RBG).

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