I was born in El Salvador at a time when the country was engulfed by civil war. I am an immigrant who has lived in the U.S. for the last 20 years. Here is where I learned to seize the opportunities offered by a graduate education. Through them, I plan to make a difference in the construction industry and evolve as an entrepreneur in construction and sustainable energy.

Graduate programs can help women reinvent a better future. They can teach a new way of doing business that will have a positive impact on society and the environment while also achieving profitability.

The old way of doing business is no longer viable: It poses too much risk, and as new generations of people are enlarging the pool of talent in the economy, they are seeking to work for purpose-driven organizations.

My journey over 15 years of working in the construction industry brought me to Bard College, in New York, where I’m working toward an MBA in sustainability and where I’ve learned to appreciate and better understand the positive role that women can play by applying concepts like the triple bottom line and by using a clear mission to drive organizational change.

Read the full article about gender equity in the construction industry by Sonia Lemus-Wright at The Hechinger Report.