Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner with us
MCAA Logo
Log in Sign up Join Hi, there Account
2026 Midyear Registration is OPEN
Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner
Log in Sign up Join Account

On a Positive Note…

Words: Dan Kamys
/Public/News/20090814082800-1.jpg" width="530" height="298" border="0" alt="Shelby Crawford has proven her doubters wrong with continued success as a masonry student.">
Shelby Crawford has proven her doubters wrong with continued success as a masonry student.

“Yeah, I heard it; some of them put me down,” says Shelby Crawford of her 44 male masonry competitors. “One of them said I might as well give it up now.”

Crawford competed in the 44th annual SkillsUSA national masonry contest in Kansas City in June 2008.

“I just told them ‘We’ll see after I compete,’” she says. “The best part was that I finished higher than many of my critics.”

Following graduation from Eureka Springs High School in Arkansas, Crawford returned to Kansas City to compete in her second national competition. Two excellent instructors trained her. Larry Wicker was her instructor during her junior year and was a mentor and supporter. He encouraged her to do anything — including masonry — that she desired.

“Mr. Wicker was an awesome instructor,” Crawford says. “He taught me everything I needed to know.”

“Shelby was dedicated, self-motivated, and exhibited strong leadership qualities,” says Wicker. “She helped her fellow students when the need arose and had a kind word for everyone.”

Mike Bonds was Crawford’s instructor her senior year.

“Mr. Bonds was taught by Mr. Wicker,” says Crawford. “He is so much like Mr. Wicker, it’s like we never lost [Wicker]. Mr. Bonds has done a great job.”

Crawford has participated in her SkillsUSA Club since her freshman year. An accomplished equestrian, she has been showing horses and winning awards and championships for years.

“Being part of SkillsUSA and competing have made me a better person. It’s taught me how to believe in myself and to work with others,” says Crawford, who will start a three-year program this fall at Northwest Arkansas Community College to become a registered nurse.

“Masonry work will help me (financially) get through nursing school,” she says. “I guess it doesn’t hurt to be qualified for two different careers.”
 0
The Importance of Staying Engaged
September 2026

There’s an old adage in Washington, D.C.: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” After moving to Washington, D.C., in January of 2001 for what I thought would be a fun two years working for a Member of Congress while I figured out what I really want

Stephen Borg
Government Affairs
Read More
Mentmore Towers, Fort Point, and More
September 2026

The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, UK, stands as a sweeping estate that represents the absolute peak of English masonry. Conceived with breathtaking scale and precision, the monumental complex is defined by

Justin Stengel
Masonry in the Media
Read More
The Alhambra
September 2026

High above Granada, Spain, the Alhambra offers masonry professionals something more than an architectural landmark. It is a working lesson in how relatively simple building materials, placed by skilled craftsmen and maintained over generations, can create

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More
The Wall
September 2026

There is a story around Huntley Brothers that some of our guys simply call “The Wall.” I’ve told it enough times over the years that when I start telling it to one of our younger guys, I can see a few of the older ones rolling their eyes. They’ve heard i

Kent Huntley
Chairman’s Message
Read More