Rocio Carroll is a superintendent at Turner Construction Company where she has worked for more than five years on projects such as the new Los Angeles Rams stadium, which is currently being built in Inglewood, CA.

Prior to her current position, Carroll worked specifically in Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) and Building Information Modeling (BIM). She got her start interning as a project engineer at Swinerton Builders in 2003 while still attending USC full-time. She graduated from USC with a Bachelor of Architecture in 2006. Previously, Carroll had also studied architecture at Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo in Morelia, Mexico.

Can you briefly summarize what you have done since graduating from USC?

I have been an active speaker at different universities and AEC events on the topics of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Design Build. I have also been involved in training and equipping younger staff on processes related to BIM. As a BIM/VDC senior project engineer, I spearheaded the first BIM pilot project for a local general contractor in 2007. Additionally, I have helped implement innovative technologies to coordinate MEPF systems prior to construction. I participated in the ACE mentoring program and became a certified coach member of the John Maxwell Team. After graduating in 2006, I assumed the role of project engineer, and I was an estimator for a year before becoming a BIM coordinator, then a senior project engineer/VDC coordinator, BIM manager, BIM/preconstruction engineer and most recently a superintendent.

What do you do as superintendent at Turner Construction Company?

As a superintendent, I utilize my architectural skills to analyze the design documents and collaborate with our team to review and validate the construction sequence between the office and in the field with the different Trade Partners involved in the LA Stadium project. I also help create constructability drawings, site and crane logistics drawings, and construction sequence visuals to communicate with ownership, designers, inspectors and safety. I am responsible for generating and updating site logistics, overlaying drawings, and analyzing the model with our operations team to plan our work and communicate our plan during our weekly Trade Partners meetings.

What are you working on right now?

I am currently working with our roof structure team in planning the crane path to install the subsequent roof assemblies: roof cables, ETFE panels, space frame to support the exterior metal panels.

I am also working with our site and infrastructure team to coordinate the installation of wet and dry site utilities with the backfill and roof structure foundations.

What do you hope to do in the future?

I would like to equip and train our young staff to strengthen our team and be able to utilize technology and innovative processes to improve our current state.

You came to the School as a transfer student with children. What was that journey like?

I believe God opened the doors and put people along my path to guide me through the journey of having a big dream of attending a university in the U.S. and being able to accomplish it. There were several barriers and challenges that stood in my way: a language barrier, the lack of financial stability, the fear of failure and the feelings of guilt for wanting to complete a career at the same time as I needed to focus on being a mother. I had to stay focused on what I wanted to accomplish, establish priorities, reorganize my life, sacrifice time with my children and figure out ways to multitask between being a mom, wife and full-time student.

My children learned how to play with all my scrap materials while I was building physical models, they spent time with me at the computer lab while I was waiting for the computer to render, they visited the Science Center Museum when I had to spend the weekend working on a group project; we learned how to cope with our limited time together. There were sleepless nights, family disappointments, frustrations, challenges, and finally the satisfaction of graduating from one of the best universities in the United States in 2006. I knew I had to take advantage of every opportunity; I couldn’t let adversity dictate my future. My parents showed me by their example that it was possible to be successful in life if I worked hard and never gave up.

Do you have any advice for current Architecture students?

My advice to all architecture students is to take advantage of every opportunity to learn and experience architecture beyond the classroom, to study abroad and learn about different cultures and languages as we live in a very diverse city.

Take advantage of opportunities to interact with other schools and professionals throughout the USC network. Get an internship to build your resume, identify your strengths and develop new skills. Get involved, participate and interact with faculty, professionals and alumni. Attend lectures, find out more about the Architectural Guild, participate in competitions within the School of Architecture or within the School of Engineering. Get involved in the Sparks competition as part of the preconstruction, design build, virtual design and construction, the integrated project delivery (IPD) team, or any other team of your choice. Get involved and find out more about different organizations that relate to the architecture, engineering and construction industry (AEC), such as The American Institute of Architecture Students, the Design Build Institute of America (DBIA), the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), or the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) to mention a few.

Give back to your community whether as a single member of our society or by participating with others. Support nonprofit organizations by becoming a mentor, friend or advocate of others with a lot less opportunities than yourself.