As a high school student, Nathalia Mingo enjoyed interactive learning and working with her hands more than sitting at a desk, so construction seemed like a good career path for her. But unlike women who have male relatives in the industry, Mingo had no role models to guide her.

“Growing up in an all-female household with an immigrant mother, I really had to pave my own path in the construction industry based on passion and persistence,” she said. “I was interested in hands-on construction and project engineering — a world typically dominated by men.”

She worked at a remodeling company during high school and then majored in construction management at the University of Florida, where she had an internship specializing in multifamily construction. 

After graduation in 2020, Mingo, 26, moved back home to the Minneapolis area and took a job as a project engineer at Minneapolis-based Adolfson & Peterson Construction. Since then, she has served as a key liaison for project support and clients.

Here, she talks with Construction Dive about what drew her to construction and her favorite types of projects.

The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.

CONSTRUCTION DIVE: What do you do in your current job?

NATHALIA MINGO: I work directly with project managers and superintendents to review, analyze and resolve field construction problems and discrepancies. 

I also develop project reports, schedules and analyses for assigned project scopes and serve as a liaison to our subcontractors and client representatives.

What drew you to construction?

I didn’t know much about the construction industry when I was in high school. I thought you had to start in the trades to get into construction or that if you wanted to earn a college degree, you had to become an architect. 

What I did know was I didn’t like drawing or sitting at a desk. I have always enjoyed working hands-on with materials and projects. 

Beyond the classroom, I was so excited to be thrown into the project engineer role during my first college internship rather than classic “intern” duties. This role really served as the foundation for my interest in construction as a career choice — and I am still so grateful for the hands-on learning opportunity. 

What are a few of the projects you've most enjoyed working on and why? 

I am incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to work on many different types of projects — which I love. 

One of my favorites to date is a current project at Tartan High School in Oakdale, Minnesota. I have enjoyed this work because it is a demolition, renovation and new build all in one. 

The Tartan High School project is the first school I have worked on, and it provides a lot of variety and complexity. I am grateful to have a great project team and be surrounded by nice, engaged school staff and students on site.

What advice would you give to young women considering construction as a career?

Be a sponge and learn everything you can. There are constant opportunities for learning and growth and it’s important to take all of them. 

In addition to that, I tell women to listen to criticism, but know you can take or leave it. In a traditional, male-dominated industry, there are a lot of opinions on how things should or have been done. It’s important to listen and learn from that feedback but it also provides an opportunity to see different perspectives and consider different solutions. 

Finally, it is so important to stay true to yourself no matter what role, department or industry you are in. I work to grow every single day, be more confident in myself and treat others with respect.