Rowan Blog2/18/2026

From the Trades to Truman: How One Construction Management Graduate Is Building Change – And a Business

Adeline McDonald
He Was a Union Pipefitter. Now He’s a National Scholarship Finalist and Business Founder. Earning a construction management degree can do more than advance a career—it can expand how professionals lead, innovate and influence their industries. For Autie Ascenzi, a union pipefitter turned entrepreneur and national scholarship finalist, completing his bachelor’s degree in construction management reshaped not only his professional trajectory but also his vision for workforce development and labor..