Student Spotlight: Brian Walsh, 18

Brian Walsh is very candid and mature for his age. Facing legal issues, his parole officer made a recommendation that would change his life. She referred him to Exalt Youth, a non-profit that provides support in navigating the justice system, educational workshops, and paid internships. Brian secured an internship with Good Call NYC, which provides 24-hour legal support for individuals who’ve been arrested.

Last summer, Brian embarked on the Trinity Wall Street/Hostos site-safety training internship through Exalt, a month-long program that provides instruction in OSHA as well as six Department of Buildings site-safety certifications. Trinity Wall Street, the private development arm of historic Trinity Church, partnered with Exalt as a way to give justice-involved youth an opportunity to see the inner workings of property development, construction, and building management.

At 17, Brian still only saw the internship as a means to earn money. “I didn’t see it benefiting me in the future, but I was open to it.” By the end of the experience, however, it would leave a much greater impression than he could have imagined. Working in outreach within the community, Brian was quiet at first, but after educating himself on legal matters he became the outreach team's top performer, and he realized he genuinely enjoyed interacting with the public, educating the public about knowing one’s rights, navigating certain situations, and how to handle specific cases. With newfound confidence and belief in the Exalt system, Brian returned for their educational workshops where he learned about the opportunities that would open up with an OSHA certification. After reading up on it, he became more interested in the construction industry.

Besides the certification courses, Hostos CEWD provided classroom instruction in blueprint reading and basic construction management. Brian wanted to cite the two Hostos instructors, Tim Dyer and Dave Albunio, for making the courses extremely enjoyable, and helping him pass 100% of his certificate exams. Brian is currently interning for a Brooklyn-based project development firm that specializes in low-income housing. With a month left of his internship stipend remaining, he feels that he’s in a good position to gain a permanent position. He also completed his first semester at New York City College of Technology, where he is pursuing a BA in Construction Management. Of the college-level coursework, he said, “Not many people my age have an OSHA or site safety certification; when I was in a course called ‘Materials and Methods,’ I already knew the material.”

Brian Walsh, 18

30-hours OSHA

8-hours Fall Prevention (DOB)

2-hours Drug and Alcohol Awareness (DOB)

10-hours Basic Construction Management (Hostos)

New York City College of Technology, BA Construction Mgmt. Anticipated graduation date: Spring 2026

THE SKILLS TO DO THE JOB