Learn more about Purdue’s online MS in Construction Management<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bristow\u2019s\u00a0path to leadership did not begin in a corporate office. Rather, it began in a small Michigan town, where\u00a0Bristow\u00a0became\u00a0the first person in his family to attend college. After initially\u00a0planning to\u00a0follow in his grandfather\u2019s steps as an accountant, a summer job delivering materials to construction sites\u00a0shifted\u00a0his trajectory. Standing outside of a job trailer filled with engineers and\u00a0construction\u00a0managers, he\u00a0began to recognize the work as something more than just a job.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI remember asking one of the construction managers, \u2018Oh man, this is a real career?\u2019\u201d Bristow said. \u201cI knew it was a job, of course, but I didn\u2019t realize it was a professional path that required a four-year degree in construction management. I didn\u2019t even know something like that existed at the time.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Following that conversation, Bristow began his undergraduate studies in construction management at Central Michigan University and spent the early years building a multitude of homes in Detroit and Florida, including work alongside Habitat for Humanity. What drew him to construction management most was the personal side of his work, knowing there was a family waiting at the end of each project. In 2009, Bristow transitioned into facilities management at Dart Container before eventually being recruited at Delta Dental where he remains today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite his success, one goal was still lingering in the back of his mind: graduate school. For years, Bristow hesitated to apply, as his undergraduate transcript did not reflect his full potential. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI always wanted a master\u2019s degree,\u201d Bristow said. \u201cI\u2019ve looked at programs and filled out informational forms probably a million times. But knowing how difficult studying could be for me, that was a major reason I postponed applying. I just wasn\u2019t sure I wanted to put myself back in that position.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Undiagnosed ADHD had shaped much of Bristow\u2019s early academic experience. Strong test scores often offset missed assignments, resulting in an uneven transcript. It was only after he met his wife, a school psychologist, that he gained a deeper understanding of the condition and the coping strategies he unknowingly developed as an adult. Those strategies fueled a successful career, but the idea of returning to a classroom still felt daunting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When he finally applied to Purdue\u2019s online\u00a0Master of Science in Construction Management<\/a>\u00a0with a concentration in facilities management, Bristow was unsure how his application would be received.\u00a0With the encouragement of mentors who were\u00a0Purdue graduates, he\u00a0began\u00a0his journey toward the goal he had\u00a0sought\u00a0since high school.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPurdue took a chance on me despite an undergraduate record that did not reflect my potential,\u201d he said. \u201cFor a long time, I let that record define what I thought I could or couldn\u2019t do.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The decision to pursue Purdue felt both practical and personal. Two of the most influential leaders in Bristow\u2019s career \u2014 Earl Major and John Alfano \u2014 were Purdue graduates who encouraged him to take the next step. The program\u2019s alignment with his professional background made the choice even clearer. But what ultimately distinguished the experience was the faculty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In Purdue Polytechnic\u2019s online construction management program, courses were led by industry professionals: attorneys teaching business law, experts in mechanical systems, telecommunications and facilities operations. When questions arose, the answers came not just from course professors, but also individuals with lived experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I had questions, I got answers from experts in the field,\u201d Bristow said. \u201cThese classes were all taught by people who had done the work. It wasn\u2019t just about putting the right answer on an assignment.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The collaboration extended well beyond the classroom. Bristow frequently brought real workplace challenges into conversations with professors and received guidance grounded in experience. These relationships did not end when the semester did either. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI would be 100% comfortable emailing any one of my professors and asking a question right this second,\u201d Bristow said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That support proved valuable during one of the most demanding periods of his career. While completing his degree, Bristow was also leading a full-scale renovation of every occupied square foot of Delta Dental\u2019s primary facilities in Okemos, Michigan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI remember getting asked \u2018How are you managing this project, work and a graduate degree?\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m almost 50, so it was cool to get that kind of recognition from the people I look up to.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n While the degree has strengthened his career,\u00a0Bristow\u00a0believes that the most meaningful impact reaches beyond his own\u00a0professional growth. As a proud father of one child preparing to enter college and another in high school,\u00a0he\u00a0wanted his children to see that education does not have\u00a0an expiration\u00a0date.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEducation is very important in our home,\u201d he said. \u201cA huge piece of me\u00a0earning\u00a0this degree is for them to see both mom and dad have advanced degrees and encourage them\u00a0to do the same, no matter where they are in life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bristow completed\u00a0his online program\u00a0with a 3.98 GPA,\u00a0a quiet but powerful response to the doubts that once held him back. What began as a postponed goal became proof that readiness is not defined by age, but commitment. For Bristow, the experience reaffirmed that growth does not\u00a0expire,\u00a0and that learning never truly stops.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf my story is the push someone late in their career needs to go back to school, I\u2019d take that as a positive,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To learn more about Purdue\u2019s\u00a0online\u00a0Master of Science in Construction Management,\u00a0visit the\u00a0program\u2019s webpage.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" At 47, Jason Bristow knew that he was ready to pursue\u00a0higher education. When he began exploring programs one name kept rising to the top \u2014 Purdue University. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":1192,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[],"area-of-study":[],"person":[74],"class_list":["post-9833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-success","person-students"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/AdobeStock_144632327-scaled.jpeg",1800,1200,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/AdobeStock_144632327-scaled.jpeg",1800,1200,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/AdobeStock_144632327-scaled.jpeg",1800,1200,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/AdobeStock_144632327-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/AdobeStock_144632327-300x200.jpeg",300,200,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/AdobeStock_144632327-1024x683.jpeg",1024,683,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/AdobeStock_144632327-1536x1024.jpeg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/AdobeStock_144632327-2048x1365.jpeg",2048,1365,true],"rt_custom":["https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/AdobeStock_144632327-scaled.jpeg",1800,1200,false]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Aidan Freeman","author_link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/author\/freema60\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"Student Success<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"At 47, Jason Bristow knew that he was ready to pursue\u00a0higher education. 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