NEW ORLEANS — At its Spring 2026 Promotion Ceremony, unCommon Construction celebrated the achievements of apprentices, volunteers, staff, and industry partners who are shaping the future of the construction industry through hands-on learning and workforce development. The ceremony featured a highlight moment recognizing exceptional talent and leadership through a new award presented by longtime industry partner Mayer Building Company.
At the promotion ceremony, unCommon Construction’s culminating school year celebration, unCommon Construction CEO Aaron Frumin presented the inaugural Mayer Building Company Apprentice Nailed It! Award, a $1,000 monetary recognition awarded to outstanding apprentice Leif-Samuel Dawson, honoring his exceptional leadership, craftsmanship, and growth throughout his six semesters with unCommon Construction.
A $500 staff recognition award was also presented to Construction Manager John Lindsay, recognizing excellence in mentorship, jobsite leadership, and commitment to apprentice development.
The new awards reflect Mayer Building Company’s ongoing commitment to workforce development and industry leadership.
“Mayer Building Company participates in unCommon Construction’s Industry Circle because we believe in building more than projects — we’re building a stronger industry and community. Supporting young people who are learning the value of hard work, fairness, and collaboration reflects the same principles that guide our company every day,” said Ryan Mayer, Owner of Mayer Building Company. “We wanted to support the great work unCommon does and really support those that stand out.”
The Mayer Apprentice Nailed It! Award was created to celebrate apprentices who go above and beyond expectations, and reinforce values critical to jobsite success, including reliability, integrity, craftsmanship, and initiative. The award also encourages young people to take pride in their professional growth and performance, recognizes excellence early, and invests in future industry leaders.
“The Mayer Award is about helping these young people see what we see — their potential,” said Mayer.
unCommon Construction Industry Circle partners, including Mayer Building Company, play a critical role in sustaining and expanding unCommon Construction’s mission. The Industry Circle is a giving collective of companies committed to supporting youth workforce development through paid apprenticeships, construction training, leadership development, and industry exposure.
Members of the Industry Circle invest directly in programming that allows young people to build real projects while gaining professional skills, mentorship, and career pathways in construction and related fields.
Leif-Samuel Dawson, a graduate of New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics (“Sci High”), joined unCommon Construction in Summer 2024 and completed six semesters, serving two semesters as Crew Leader. He will continue his academic journey at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, pursuing civil engineering.
Dawson reflected on the impact of the program – “unCommon Construction not only gave me the guidance to narrow down my area of study from general engineering to civil engineering, but it also gave me critical skills necessary for going anywhere after high school.”
Staff and peers described Dawson as a leader who consistently models professionalism, problem-solving, and initiative on the jobsite—often becoming the first point of guidance for fellow apprentices.
“At unCommon, we learn to build a house from the ground up… These are unforgettable experiences that have positively shaped us now and will continue to shape us in the future,” said Dawson.
In addition to the Mayer Building Company awards, unCommon Construction recognized individuals demonstrating core values across the organization:
Safety Award (Apprentice): Daneia Mitchill
Grit Award (Apprentice): Darius Diolivarri
Integrity Award (Volunteer): Doug Matthews
Equity Award (Industry Partner): Sara Woods, AOS Interior Environments
These recognitions highlight the organization’s commitment to building not only structures, but character, leadership, and opportunity within the construction industry.
To volunteer, support or get involved with unCommon Construction, please email info@uncommonconstruction.org or follow unCommon Construction on social media.
About unCommon Construction
unCommon Construction (uCC) is a nonprofit that empowers youth with the skills, networks, resources, and experience to lead the workforce. Through their construction apprenticeship program, high school students earn hourly pay, funding awards, and school credits by working alongside a diverse team of peers, educators, and industry professionals to build a house or other construction project. Through hands-on training, leadership opportunities, and professional development, uCC prepares students to succeed in the construction industry and beyond. Since its founding in 2015, uCC has created approximately 650 apprenticeship roles that have collectively earned over $800,000 in net pay and awards. uCC operates in the Twin Cities and New Orleans, where they recently opened the unCommon Campus to expand their programming to adults and youth of all ages and to serve as its Innovation Hub for national replication to new communities. To learn more, please visit http://www.uncommonconstruction.org/, or visit our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook (@uncommonconstruction).