A Conversation That Changed Everything: Sidonia Nichols’ Path to Safety
TAMPA, Fla. (June 18, 2025) — Sometimes a single conversation can change the trajectory of a life. For Sidonia Nichols, Project HSE Supervisor I at Superior Construction, that pivotal moment came in her hometown of Princeton, Kentucky, when her high school agriculture teacher recognized something special in her.
“At that time, I had zero idea of what I wanted to study after high school,” Sidonia says. “My teacher told me about the Occupational Safety and Health program that some colleges offer. He thought it aligned with the things I did well in his classes.”
That thoughtful guidance led Sidonia to pursue a degree in Occupational Safety and Health from Columbia Southern University, launching a career dedicated to protecting others.
“I truly did not know how much I would grow to love and enjoy this field of work,” Sidonia says.
Sidonia moved from Kentucky to Florida to become a Superior intern in May 2023 and was hired full-time in August 2023. She’s worked on the Suncoast project north of Tampa since its inception and is now witnessing its completion — a full-circle moment she takes pride in.
Even though her career is still relatively new, she says her colleagues value her input. She’s grateful for the knowledge they’ve shared with her. “Getting to learn how operations work from an engineering and field standpoint helps me understand the best ways I, as an HSE professional, can help mitigate risk and protect our crews,” she explains.
What Sidonia values most about working at Superior is the team approach to safety. “You have to have a team that stands behind you to push the initiatives that make the difference,” she says. “My project team stands behind and works with me on all safety-related matters, and our success would not be possible without all of them on board. That’s the Superior way.”
Sidonia believes the safety sector is an excellent area for women to explore in their construction careers. But she hopes they take a broader view: “Women should be welcomed in all parts of the construction industry. Superior strives to help women achieve in all sectors of the industry because they don’t put people in a box — they believe individuals should do what they feel called to and drive themselves daily to be the best.”
Sidonia’s work overseeing safety on major metropolitan Florida construction projects is miles away from her upbringing in a small Kentucky town, but she’s still living her core values, and she says that’s what matters.
“I’ve always wanted to help others,” Sidonia says. “Family is important — all of us have people depending on us to walk through the door every night. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to contribute to my colleagues returning home safely after work.”
Superior Construction highlights one core value each quarter. For Q2 2025, we’re focusing on Safety. Stay tuned for Q3’s focus on our Core Value: Family.