Where are they now?

Shauna England is a Senior at CSU, Chico. She will graduate with a BS in Civil Engineering in May 2010.

Receiving the Construction Institute Scholarship and attending the Student Days conference in San Francisco has had a big influence on my future career and what direction I want to head in. Student Days really opened my eyes and made me aware of what the construction industry has to offer and the limitless opportunities as well as diversity construction has. I always considered construction to be limited to buildings, bridges, or roads little did I know what a slurry wall was or even how it was constructed until this past summer at my internship with the Corps!

At Student Days I was able to speak with professionals and learn about their practice and the different sectors from which they worked. Almost all of the professions I spoke with liked their jobs and were excited to tell others about their specialization. Knowing that these people loved what they did and cared about their workmanship and reputation was something that instantly attracted me to construction. The integrity and attention that the construction industry demands reflects my own feelings and personality. As such, even though I am an engineer by education, I can relate a lot to these projects and the people that are involved with them.

With a future in construction I feel that the prospects are almost endless. There is the possibly to work on a variety of projects perhaps some of the largest, most innovative, and unique in the world. So even with a sluggish economy, I am still optimistic and excited to graduate at a time where construction is changing. As I approach my final year of school I am now able to step back and appreciate the time and hours I put into class as it’s helped to prepare me for my own career in the construction industry.

- Shauna England, EIT

Cassie Leonarado Smith, CSU, Fresno

Cassie Leonardo Smith was awarded the Construction Engineering Scholarship at the Fall 2008 Construction Institute/ASCE Conference in Burlingame, California. Since attending the conference, she has continued to be actively involved in the engineering community. Cassie was a member of ASCE, along with Chi Epsilon and Tau Beta Pi at California State University, Fresno. She received the ASCE Scholarship Award for Academic Achievement in Spring 2009, and the ASCE Outstanding Senior Project Presenter Award upon graduation in Fall 2009.

Cassie obtained an internship at Blair, Church and Flynn Consulting Engineers in Clovis, California during her sophomore year of college. Upon passing her EIT exam, she was hired as a full-time Hydrology and Hydraulics Engineer during her senior year. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in three and a half years and married her college sweetheart and fellow civil engineer, Kevin Smith.

Cassie plans to continue her involvement in ASCE after graduation as an associate member. Her participation in ASCE as a student had a significant impact on where she is today. She believes that the effort ASCE puts forth to motivate students to become successful engineers is irreplaceable. She recalls that her most interesting trip to the field as a student was the ASCE/Caltrans-organized San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge trip. She says, “It helped me to realize the magnitude of engineering projects, and the impact that I could have as a successful civil engineer.” She recognizes and values the opportunity ASCE provides to network with experienced professionals, obtain advice, and job experience. ASCE provided a springboard for her to gain invaluable experience in the professional engineering world.