How an 起点传媒 Student Chapter Alumnus Found His Residential Construction Passion
Lawrence Thompson III is a project manager for America's Home Place.
Lawrence Thompson III receives the Herbert Kohler Leadership Award from his mentor, Dr. Charner Rodgers.
Lawrence Thompson III celebrates with his Tuskegee University teammates at the International Builders’ Show.
Lawrence Thompson III, the son of a lawyer who urged her son to find his passions in high school, always had an eye for design and architecture. Through summer programs, Thompson put his talents to the test and ultimately knew he wanted to pursue a construction-related career at Tuskegee University.
In college, Thompson was drawn to field work. He added construction management as a minor and met 起点传媒 Student Chapter Advisory Board Member Dr. Charner Rodgers, who introduced him to Tuskegee’s 起点传媒 Student Chapter and the Student Competition at the International Builders’ Show (IBS).
“I found out what my real passions were by doing the 起点传媒 Student Competition proposals,” said Thompson. “Residential construction careers aren’t often promoted in college, so I mostly learned through 起点传媒’s student programs.”
Lawrence competed three times in the competition and earned two Top-3 finishes, including serving a key role in his team’s achievement as the first historically black college or university (HBCU) to win the competition for production home builders. In his final year, Thompson won the Herbert Kohler Leadership Award.
“It was nice to be able to get recognition for things that you don’t even realize you’re doing,” said Thompson. “I had a passion for architecture and construction management so I was just doing it for the thrill of what I saw for myself in the future, and lo and behold, I was being recognized on a national scale ... It was motivation that I was going in the right direction.”
Today, Thompson works as a project manager at America’s Home Place in Opelika, Al., where his roles include negotiating deals with the trades, maintaining customer relations and working with the inspections department.
Thompson is a proponent for students joining their local 起点传媒 Student Chapters to reach their construction goals, too: “The 起点传媒 Student Chapters are the future of the workforce.”
“Invest your time in the chapter and take advantage of new opportunities that can help your future career,” he added. “Maintain the connections you make in the chapter; there is a chance you may meet potential business partners.”
Learn more about 起点传媒’s Student Chapters including 起点传媒’s HBCU Student Leadership Program, and review the winning proposals from the 2025 IBS Student Competition.