The Sharing the Joys of Construction Essay Competition was created by EDiS Company in 2021 for Delaware trade and vocational high school students to shine a spotlight on the positive impact diversity has in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Students wrote about individuals or companies who have inspired them or have had a positive impact on the built environment. First place winner Musulyn Fahnbulleh won a $700 prize, second place winner Tahna Moten won $500, third place winner Tyler Keyek won $300, and honorable mention Tianie Dixon won $100. Tyler would like to thank his family and teachers.
Grade: 11th School: Sussex Technical High School
Houses, businesses, schools, and every building that is standing have evolved through the centuries of our ancestors. Without innovation and construction, we would all still be living in caves and fighting over natural-made homes and resources. The more construction companies that open, the more buildings are placed all over the world. Owning a construction business can be an extremely hard journey, and being an African American business owner can be ten times harder. C.D. Moody was a regular person with a huge dream from Lithonia, Georgia.; with a little hope and hard work, his dreams came true.
Starting the company out of their very own bedroom, C.D. Moody and his wife were able to create a company that is now ranked as one of the nation’s largest African American-owned businesses. Starting with what very little resources he had, C.D. Moody made great things happen. Being an African American business owner, and a father was not an easy task. C.D. Moody construction focuses mainly on aviation, collegiate, commercial, K-12, municipal, nonprofit, and retail facilities, as well as historic renovations. Being ranked as one of Atlanta’s top 25 commercial contractors has made C.D. Moody Construction very well known. Some of the largest construction projects taken on by C.D. Moody Construction are The Olympic Stadium, Disney World, and the Federal Reserve Bank Of Atlanta.
Today, C.D. Moody Construction is a successful, large enterprise, and has completed more than 200 commercial projects. C.D. Moody Construction is also now worth nearly three billion dollars. C.D. Moody believes that construction is not just a brick-and-mortar business, but it is a people business first. He believes that the better he serves his clients, the better they will serve their community as mentors, educators, and financial contributors. Moody visions his children to be the next vital role in the company and to take over for him in future years. His daughter, Karia Moody, said in an interview with black enterprise, “Every weekend we would go and look at all the job sites together as a family.” Moody is setting his family up for success by being a strong role model. His daughter will help continue his legacy, she said “I grew up in construction. I always knew I wanted to go into it.” Moody’s legacy will be able to carry on through his family. This shows that Moody has been an amazing role model, and wants Karia to be able to flourish in life.
Staying connected to his community was a very important thing for Mr. Moody, so he did so by planting seeds for future growth. He helped mentor the next generation of business leaders in Atlanta, by teaching his kids the value of hard work, and financial responsibility. Mr. Moody has also coached soccer, football, and basketball, for youth in his community. He has paired with Stoneview and Shadowrock elementary schools to provide resources for young students and impact their young minds. Being such a large role model around these youth students does leave such an amazing impact and can change their entire world. Being a role model for not only his kids, but also his community is quite an accomplishment. It shows people that they can do anything they put their mind to, no matter where they start or their background.
In addition, Moody has awarded over 80 scholarships to minority students. He has endowed scholarships at Morehouse College, Howard University, and Central State University. If even one person follows behind him and starts something revolutionary, then it can start a chain reaction. Having someone so motivational in an African American community inspires people to want there to be a change in their life.
In conclusion, C.D. Moody has helped inspire many new minds and helped show his community what can be done with hope and patience. He has helped many people become successful in life and has shown his own children and local community children valuable life skills. He did all of this while running one of the largest African American companies in the nation, and he was still there to be the father of his kids.
A hero can be defined as many things. A hero, defined by Merriam Webster’s Dictionary is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. There is no doubt that Moody could be defined as a hero. Moody has inspired so many young people, and will forever leave a long-lasting impression on families throughout his community. Having a person like this in any community can show today’s youth that anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it. That is exactly why C. D. Moody should not only be considered a national hero but an amazing role model.
