Safety In Mind and Scouting On His Side, Nicholas Hunter '25 Eyes a Promising Future
Nicholas Hunter ’25 got involved in Boy Scouts – now Scouting America – as a first-grader, and he hasn’t let go.
The Keene State senior is an Eagle Sout; a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow, the highest honor a Scout can attain; and has held various leadership positions in his 15 years in the worldwide organization with roots that date more than 100 years.
Nicholas also remains involved in his Scout camp at home.
All of which is to say that Nicholas is fiercely driven, focused, and resourceful. He has the badges and a growing college resume to prove it.
In May, he will earn a bachelor’s degree in construction safety sciences and set his sights on a career “where I know I can make a difference, not only that benefits myself, but that can have a positive impact on the lives of others around me.”
Keene State is the first higher education institution in the nation to offer a bachelor’s degree in construction safety sciences, which prepares graduates for various occupational safety and health program management positions in private and public construction.
Experiential learning is a core tenant of the liberal arts tradition at Keene State. A final and important piece of Nicholas’ education was an on-site internship this past summer with Gilbane Building Company, based in Providence, RI.
Assigned to two project sites, both new elementary schools, Nicholas worked closely with the project teams and site superintendents to ensure that construction activities were completed safely. Responsibilities included conducting site walks and inspections, upholding the “Gilbane Cares” philosophy, working with subcontractors to ensure compliance with site-specific safety plans, participating in and reviewing daily pre-task plans, and monitoring high-hazard work activities.
It was anything but hands-off.
Real-job learning is a big reason that 34 percent of Owl graduates receive a job offer following an internship.
“Keene State is the only school in this area with this specific major,” Nicholas, who lives in Auburn, Massachusetts, said. “Keene State was the only school I toured and applied to because I knew when I first stepped foot on the campus that it was an environment I could see myself in.”
Nicholas was drawn to Keene State because of its size, location, and spirit of community. He was drawn to safety as an academic field by a family friend who owns a successful consulting company in the safety industry. Additionally, he attended Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School and studied electrical engineering for four years as a high school student.
“Helping students find internships and setting them up for success in those experiences is what Keene State faculty does so well,” he said. “The professors hold resume review nights, LinkedIn nights, and so on every semester in the leadup to the career fair. Coursework is designed to challenge students through group work, presentations, and projects … along with flexibility that allows them to choose how they go about accomplishing the assignment.
“I learned at Gilbane that their jobs aren’t just safer, their measures make work sites cleaner, healthier, and more comfortable than the industry average. The internship has given me many great ideas and best practices to carry with me wherever I end up in life.”
Nicholas feels fortunate for the academic flexibility, beyond-class opportunities, and caring mentors who have helped to shape him and is grateful for the chance to have a career that allows him to have a positive impact on the lives of others.
He’s been a leader in the making because of his experiences as a Scout, another reason Nicholas is realizing his full potential before others might.
Said Nicholas, “I brought to Keene State a vision of a better world around me. I will leave Keene State with the ability to make that vision a reality.”
