Knutson Spotlights our Educators on Teacher Appreciation Week

As Teacher Appreciation Week rolls around, we want to celebrate the dedicated individuals shaping the future. While full-time educators rightfully receive recognition, another group of educators deserves a spotlight: professionals who balance their careers while teaching part-time. 

Here at Knutson, we have a few team members who have leaped into the teaching world. Sharing their knowledge and experience to bring real-world insight to their students!

Houston Walsh is an Estimator who also teaches Construction Estimating courses at Anoka Technical College, part of the Minnesota State system, and has been in the role for about a year, though he’s served on the program’s advisory board for over three years. His teaching journey started with a desire to better represent what estimating is—not just paper-pushing or number crunching, but a strategic process that plays a critical role in construction. With strong support from his team at Knutson, they began reaching out to schools to share real-world insight into estimating, and the overwhelmingly positive response led to an opportunity at Anoka Tech. Houston is passionate about helping students see the possibilities in this career path, especially those who had never considered it before. Houston’s proudest moment came when a student, unsure about applying for an estimating job, gained the confidence through their conversations to pursue the opportunity. The student got the job and shared that without the course, he would have never pursued estimating. Houston’s advice to students is: be willing to learn and adapt. The construction industry is evolving rapidly, with technology becoming a central force—what used to be a paper-heavy process is now driven by digital tools, software, and even AI. His goal in the classroom is not just to teach the fundamentals, but to give students skills that prepare them for the future. Houston wants them to know that construction isn’t limited to swinging a hammer—there are opportunities across the industry, and finding a role you’re excited about makes all the difference.

“I’m incredibly grateful for Knutson’s commitment to education and proud to be part of a team that genuinely values building the future” – Houston Walsh

Paige Dehmer is an Assistant Project Manager and teaches the “Construction Technology Applications” course in the Construction Management Program at the University of Minnesota, where she’s been teaching for a year. As a former student of the program, she’s always valued the education and mentorship she’s received, and has stayed connected through alumni events over the years. At one of those events, a conversation with the faculty director led to him handing her a syllabus for a course the program hoped to launch. A few days later, he followed up and asked if she’d be interested in developing and teaching it, and that’s how her journey as an instructor began. Her proudest moment so far was completing the final assignment during the course development phase; “after three months of hard work, seeing it all come together was incredibly fulfilling,” she said. What Paige enjoys most about teaching is the opportunity to offer students the same support and guidance that helped shape her career. The course focuses on how technology is used in project management, and she introduces students to industry-relevant tools for scheduling, estimating, communication, and document management. By exposing them early to the purpose behind these tasks and the software used to perform them, she hopes to give them a solid foundation before they encounter these tools in the field.

Aalayha Traub, the VDC Manager, has been teaching “Managing in the BIM Environment” at the University of Minnesota since 2022. Her teaching journey also started through a conversation with the faculty director of the program. She had just graduated and was sharing her passion for innovation in construction and her concerns about gaps in how certain topics were being taught. When he asked if she had ever considered teaching, she initially hesitated, because she had only just left the classroom herself. But with his encouragement, she gave it a try, and three years later, she’s more inspired than ever. Aalayha’s advice to students is to stay open and curious—explore the many ways you can bring value to the industry. The most rewarding opportunities often lie just outside your comfort zone. The construction industry is evolving rapidly, and her teaching aims to bridge the gap between tradition and innovation. By introducing students to emerging technologies and forward-thinking processes, she hopes to help them discover passions and pathways they might not have known existed.

“We’re standing at a pivotal moment in construction, where drones, robotics, BIM, and smart tools are reshaping what it means to build. Technology isn’t replacing the trades; it’s redefining them. It gives me goosebumps to think about the role today’s students will play in leading the future of this industry, and that’s what drives me—to keep learning, keep showing up, and keep helping them find their voice and purpose in this ever-changing field,” – Aalayha Traub

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week 2025 to all the amazing individuals who dedicate their time to teaching others!