At age 28, Jacinda Fernandez has already proven that grace, resilience and faith can build anything, especially when the work starts from the ground up.

Today, she’s the vice president of Trinity Constructors LLC, a general contracting firm that does its own concrete and masonry work. Before leading job sites, she was hauling block and mixing mud alongside her brother as a masonry laborer at Disney’s Riviera Resort.

“It’s still my favorite job story to tell because it reminds me that every great foundation starts with hard work, and maybe a little friendly competition,” she says.

Jacinda’s journey hasn’t been easy. Early in her career, she arrived at work one morning to find cardboard covering the windows. The business had shut down overnight.

“That unexpected setback led me to Trinity Constructors, where I started as a laborer and eventually discovered my true calling as a leader in construction,” Jacinda says. “It taught me that closed doors are often just God’s way of redirecting us to something greater.”

Today, she leads with the same faith that carried her through. Jacinda says her hope is that when people talk about her career years from now, they say that she led with faith, integrity and heart.

“I hope they say I helped build more than buildings; I helped build people, and that every decision I made, every project I touched and every person I led felt seen, valued and inspired to do their best,” she says.

Still, balancing a demanding career with motherhood hasn’t been simple, but it’s shaped her mindset and best practices to the point of great success.

“Balancing motherhood, leadership and faith has been my greatest challenge and blessing,” she says. “It taught me to lean not on my own strength, but on God’s. I’ve learned that true leadership isn’t about control; it’s about service, grace and trusting that when you put people first, success follows naturally.”

Each day, she strives to set an example for her children, her team and the next generation—especially young women considering fields that don’t fit the typical stereotype.

“I hope to leave a legacy of faith-driven leadership that reminds others you can succeed in business without sacrificing your values,” Jacinda says. “My goal is to inspire the next generation, especially young women, to step into industries that may not ‘look’ like them, lead with humility and courage, and always put people before profit.”