OSU-OKC Construction Technology program fills need for students, industry

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Media Contact: Mack Burke | Associate Director of Media Relations | 405-744-5540 | editor@okstate.edu

The summer after graduating high school, Jesus Ceballos wasn’t preparing for college.

He was assembling mattress racks for a sleep center that was about to open in Oklahoma City.  

Growing up in a single-parent household, financial struggles were a constant reality for his family. Ceballos thought the only way to achieve stability was to become a doctor or lawyer — a future that wasn’t attainable for him.

He was on a break from his job when he introduced himself to someone working at a desk in the newly constructed facility. Ceballos learned that the man oversaw construction of the building, working his way up after graduating with a construction management degree from Oklahoma State University.

“That conversation opened my eyes to an entirely new career path,” Ceballos said. “I had never considered going into construction, but I quickly realized it was a perfect fit for me.”

Attending college in Stillwater wasn’t a realistic option, though. Not only did he have to work full time to help his family make ends meet, which meant staying close to home, but he also couldn’t afford college for four years.  

Fortunately, OSU-OKC’s Construction Technology program was there to fill that gap. The campus was nearby, it offered flexible class schedules that allowed him to balance work and school, and its two-year associate degree was financially manageable.  

“The OSU-OKC Construction Technology program offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the construction industry,” department head and professor Terry Clinefelter said. “Hands-on training and our emphasis on both technical and leadership skills allow graduates to pursue a wide range of career paths in the industry and hit the ground running.”

After Clinefelter gave Ceballos a tour, the young man was convinced it was the path for him.

During Ceballos’ time in the program, he developed a strong foundation, learning critical industry skills, such as reading plans, estimating and managing projects. Between the technical knowledge, certifications and emphasis on professionalism, he felt ready to prove himself in the industry. 

Ceballos graduated with a job offer from AC Owen Construction, where he worked for eight years in numerous roles before becoming a superintendent with Cowen Construction.  

“In the future, I want to continue advancing in the industry, taking on larger and more complex projects — possibly moving into a senior leadership role,” Ceballos said. “OSU-OKC had great connections with local construction companies, and that network played a huge role in helping me get my foot in the door.”

The Construction Technology program works closely with each student to help them secure employment, with many having jobs lined up before graduation. OSU-OKC maintains close relationships with construction companies to identify which students would be good culture fits, then makes contact.

“Terry [Clinefelter] knows our company and what we are about,” said Aaron Owen, president and CEO of AC Owen Construction. “He does such a good job of placing people with companies where he feels like they’d have the best chance to succeed. Any time Terry reaches out about someone, we are always going to give them a look because they’ve proven to have a high percentage of success within our company.”

Owen was himself a product of the OSU Construction pipeline as he graduated in 2000 with a construction management degree. Any time he drives through Oklahoma City, he can almost always point out a building he’s been a part of.  

To him, the most rewarding part of construction is seeing the collaboration it takes for a large team to get a project from a discussion to a permanent structure.  

At OSU-OKC, he established the Aaron and Megan Owen Endowed Scholarship to assist students in the Construction Technology program — to help them break into the industry that has supported him and his family for decades.  

Owen’s inspiration for the scholarship started on a golf course at Gaillardia Country Club, where he met a young man named Levi Fredrickson.  

“At the time, Levi was a bag boy, but he just had exactly what I look for in a good employee,” Owen said. “He always went out of his way to go above and beyond, but he didn’t have a whole lot of support from home or direction in his life. So, I asked if he’d be interested in working for me.”

Fredrickson’s start at AC Owen sparked a desire to pursue a construction technology degree at OSU-OKC. Owen decided to help him through school financially, and Fredrickson has enjoyed a successful career since.  

The experience made Owen realize what a big impact he could make on someone’s life. Establishing the scholarship became a no-brainer, he said.

“We’ve been blessed with the ability to help others and get them in a position to help themselves personally but also help the industry,” Owen said. “The industry is so busy, and it has been for years. And I don’t see it slowing down.”

As much as the program helps students, it is also crucial for local companies.  

In Oklahoma, the construction industry struggles to find enough individuals — both tradesmen and management — to enter its workforce. OSU Polytech and the Construction Technology program aim to provide industry-aligned academic programs and workforce development throughout the state.

OSU is uniquely positioned to help, as a significant portion of its graduates stay to work in Oklahoma after graduating. Specifically, OSU-OKC serves many nontraditional students who, for many reasons, don’t have the opportunity to attend four-year programs. It fills that gap in education and development.

Chris Kates, a 1999 OSU engineering technology graduate and owner of Midwest Wrecking Co., also established a scholarship at OSU-OKC to help students and the construction industry.

“My wife, Jean, and I wanted to support individuals in our field that may not have the same opportunity that I had growing up,” Chris Kates said. “We need more high-quality individuals in the construction industry so it can grow. The construction industry has been very good to my family and supports so many families around the state.”

Construction Technology program graduates are immediately ready to make an impact in the workforce. They’ve proven themselves to be highly motivated and hardworking.  

Given OSU-OKC’s demographic of nontraditional students, the program serves many people who have to work through college to support their families, as well as veterans who are trying to find their way after service. And when they get an opportunity, they are determined to prove themselves.

“A lot of OSU-OKC kids just really appreciate the opportunity that they have been given,” Owen said. “When they appreciate it, they tend to make more out of it. It’s almost like a boxer who is an underdog and trains harder to win the fight because everyone is betting against them. There’s a little bit of that that goes into a lot of the students who come through that program.”

Manuel Gutierrez’s success is a testament to that. Growing up, his father would come home and share stories from the construction site. He knew he wanted to follow in those footsteps.

“My dad instilled a drive in me to get the best result with what I’ve got,” Gutierrez said. “Regardless of the obstacle, there’s going to be a way around it.”

But Gutierrez knew he couldn’t afford a college education without burdening himself with loans. Fortunately, in high school, he was selected to a concurrent program with Dove Science Academy that paid for him to take courses at OSU-OKC.

He still worked his way through school at his dad’s fencing company, but the aid made a degree possible.  

Gutierrez, 22, now works at AC Owen as an assistant superintendent. He loves that every day presents a new challenge, one that he knows he can overcome.  

“There’s a lot of bright minds that don’t reach their full potential because of their financial situation,” Gutierrez said. “Donations can help someone who came from nothing but has a lot of drive to fulfill their dream. And it would help Oklahoma grow in the long run as well.  

“I’d like to give Terry Clinefelter and Aaron Owen a huge thank you. They really changed my life.”  

---

Photos by: Provided

Story by: Grant Ramirez | STATE Magazine