“The construction engineering program at Iowa State is among the oldest in the country, and I’m proud to tell others that I’ve graduated from it. Engineering like a Cyclone Engineer means being both a master and pioneer in your craft.”
Clubs and activities: The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), Engineering Student Council, the Construction Engineering Curriculum Committee and a faith-based organization called the Salt Company.
Through AGC, I’ve enjoyed some of the best experiences of my college career. I’ve participated in our fall and spring break service trips, where 30-40 students perform volunteer work for those in need. I’ve also honed my leadership and management skills by serving as AGC treasurer for the past two years.
Valuable hands-on learning experience: My internships. The College of Engineering does a great job hosting career fairs with so many employers to network with, and Iowa State has a great reputation, making it easier to secure competitive internship positions. My internships have ranged from local general contractors to nationwide engineering and construction firms. With each internship, I have taken on more responsibility and grown more prepared to start my professional career.
Influential mentors: Both students and faculty have had a positive impact on my Iowa State experience. Logan Angstead (’20 construction engineering) and Alex Stadtmueller (’21 construction engineering) were my learning community peer mentors my first year. They helped me secure my first internship and create a four-year class schedule that made each semester manageable. And Jordan Girolamo, another construction engineering major, encouraged me to run for AGC treasurer and helped me get more involved with that organization.
Beth Hartmann, who led my first-year construction engineering learning community, offered me excellent advice on how to properly interact with professionals in industry and negotiate job offers. As a junior, I met Roy Sturgill, assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, who has since been my professor, AGC’s faculty advisor, and a source of guidance when navigating challenging course loads.
Greatest accomplishment: Construction engineers are a highly connected and social group, both inside and outside the classroom. As such, my greatest accomplishments are the relationships I have built during my time at Iowa State.
The peers who struggled with me through classes like “Reinforced Concrete Design 1” are the same people who traveled cross-country with me on AGC service trips. My professors were the same people I could ask for professional or life advice at any time.
As an alum, I’m looking forward to opportunities to reinvest in the construction engineering culture at Iowa State and in future classes of students.
Plans after graduation: I’ll start full-time work with Burns & McDonnell, the company I interned with, this summer. Though my home office will technically be in Kansas City, I will be traveling for the first several years of my career. My first project is located in western Tennessee.
Making my mark on the world: I chose construction because I wanted to build cool stuff. At Burns & McDonnell, I will be working in the Energy Group, whose projects help bring reliable, affordable electricity to people across the country.
Engineering like a Cyclone Engineer: The construction engineering program at Iowa State is among the oldest in the country, and I’m proud to tell others that I’ve graduated from it. Engineering like a Cyclone Engineer means being both a master and pioneer in your craft.