Layne's Big Project

Last night, Layne and I went to the Major Donor Benefit at Ursaline Academy here in Dallas, Texas. Ursaline is currently building a multi-million dollar Math, Science, and Technology Building, and Layne has been working on this project since he started at Building Solutions. As you can imagine, this is a project that I passionate about.

Women account for more than 50% of today's college graduates, yet they make up less than 12% of science, math, and technology related fields. There are generalizations in society today that if you are a scientist you must lack social skills. Woman don't think that technology related career choice is conducive to being a mother. And to make matters worse, standardized test scores from 30 leading nations around the world show that there are only 5 countries with poorer science skills, and only 4 with poorer math skills. In a world where science and technology is essential to improving our way of life- our nation is significantly behind the curve, and this is something that needs to be addressed for future generations.

So obviously, I love that Ursaline, an all girls Catholic high school, is making an investment in this building. The facilities will be state of the art, and the building is going to be green. Layne specializes in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), and I am so proud of the work he has done on this project. It is really going to be something special.

So last night, Layne and I were walking through the campus checking out the science and math exhibits students were presenting as the major donors ($25M- $1MM plus) sipped on wine and ate hour' devours (did I spell that right?). It was a wonderful evening. And to brag on Layne a little, everyone from Bill Gates' in-laws to the president of Ursaline Academy complimented Layne on the job that he is doing.

We spend so much time away from our families because of work- it is nice to work on a project you believe in, and I'm so excited I was able to learn more about Layne's big project.