Student Spotlight

Meet Rachel Lattin, a Construction Management major from Logan, Utah. Moving to Provo to attend BYU allowed Rachel to stay close to her family, with their support just a drive away and the opportunity to be there for her younger siblings. She has wanted to come to BYU since she was little, hearing her parents talk about their wonderful memories here and eating BYU Creamery ice cream. Now, she enjoys how her faith is intertwined with her education. On her mission in eastern Texas, she learned how to minister to and serve God’s children wherever she is, especially as a student on campus.

The drastic size difference between her small high school and BYU in addition to the stress of choosing a major overwhelmed Rachel at the start of her college journey. After trying civil engineering because of her interests in math and architecture, she realized that construction management would fit her goals better. While that transition was a challenge, she says it helped her grow in ways she needed.

“I think that it stretched me in a way that was good and helped me to make decisions in the future and be confident in where I am now and what I want to do,” Rachel says. During classes like one of her favorites, Mechanics of Materials, Rachel came to love understanding how small details work together to build something grand. She enjoys combining creativity with critical thinking to understand how materials interact with the world and how she can use that to design buildings.

“In the program, we talk a lot about building God’s kingdom literally,” Rachel says. “We have the opportunity to build houses of the Lord.”

The SNELL lab, course reserve textbooks at the library, and study spots outside or close to windows are key to Rachel’s study sessions. One of her favorite places on campus is the Pendulum Cafe, where she grabs food with her sister, also a student on campus.

Being outside means a lot to Rachel. When she isn’t in class, you can find her playing pickleball to keep up her tennis skills, rock climbing, reading, and doing crafts. In the winter, she loves to ski with her family. Rock Canyon Park is one of her favorite places to hang out. Even if she’s freezing during a fall picnic up the canyon, she loves having these moments with friends and meeting new people. This part of student life is nonnegotiable to her.

“Have a social life. You need it. Take a break from studying and be involved,” Rachel says.

Clubs and jobs have made that possible for her. Rachel is a part of the Architecture and Women in Construction clubs, also competing with the ASC Mixed-Use Commercial team. Those team members are dear to her.“Those bonding experiences where you’re having high-pressure situations where you have to work together brings you so close as a team, but it also creates those lasting friendships,”Rachel says.

This summer, Rachel continued as an intern with Okland Construction. She has both worked on-site to solve problems as they occur as well as off-site to take precaution against potential contracting issues. She enjoys helping students understand concepts in estimating classes and material testing labs.

“You learn so much, and you make so many connections between the things that you’ve learned in a book or in a lecture versus seeing it applied in the field,” Rachel says, speaking of her work life.

Rachel hopes that her professional future continues to interact with her faith. Having developed the skill of learning at BYU, she wants to stay humble and always look for things to learn. It is her goal to serve her coworkers and prioritize her family in her work.

“From my time at BYU, I recognize that God is in everything,” Rachel says. “He’s in the science. He’s in the art. He’s everywhere. I think that in being a reflection of that light, you approach your professional life differently. You involve God in everything. He’s in your deadlines. He’s in your project ideas.”

We are grateful to have Christ-like examples like Rachel in our college. Her humility and resilience remind us that engineering is about building our skills and ourselves. To students, she offers this reminder.

“Being known by others and to put yourself in a place where you’re meeting people are really valuable in creating that sense of belonging overall,” Rachel says.