Women make up only 11 percent of BYU’s construction-management program. But for one student the major is a natural fit: Savannah L. Taylor (’23) was raised in a family of engineers, including her mom and oldest sister. Each time they moved, Taylor “really enjoyed looking at the different floor plans of houses and [thinking], ‘Oh, that was a really good idea,’ or, ‘I wonder why they did that,’ or, ‘I could do that better.’”
Taylor uses that curiosity to drive her learning. “In construction I’ll never be bored,” she says. Not that Taylor, who’s minoring in music, has time to be bored. Alongside her coursework, she’s busy interning at a construction site on Freedom Boulevard in Provo—and teaching high school. Taylor’s been the percussion director at Provo High School for the past 3.5 years, and this year she’s helping establish percussion programs at both Maple Mountain and Lone Peak High Schools.
She’s now completed four construction internships, including one in Washington, where she combined her passions to construct a music performance hall. There she made real contributions, suggesting a location for the orchestra shell and recommending wider doors to accommodate bigger instruments.
“I got to take some instruments in after work one day . . . and be on this stage that wasn’t built yet, but just imagine what [was] to come and then help it get there,” she says.
Taylor’s education has been supported by donor-funded university and college scholarships. These donor funds, she says, opened the door to powerful learning opportunities and helped her in “stepping ahead in my career, experiencing passions, and giving back to the community.”
“During a time of pandemic, economic crisis, and uncertainty, donors stepped up in amazing ways. Donations in 2020 were the highest they have been in the last 15 years. In real ways, you are changing the educational experience for thousands of grateful students. Thank you.”
BYU President Kevin J Worthen
BYU 2020 Giving Report
- 27,815 alumni and friends of the university—including students, staff, administration, and faculty—gave to BYU in 2020, funding scholarships, research, grants, and more.
- $64.3 million has been donated to BYU’s top fundraising goal, Inspiring Learning, which funds mentored research and experiential learning.
- 20,000 students have participated in donor-funded Inspiring Learning experiences since 2017.
- 5,400: The average number of students who receive donor-funded scholarships each semester.
