Monday, 21 May 2007
Paving Their Way as Future Leaders
I recently returned from the EWRI Congress in Tampa where I had the opportunity to mingle with the 800-plus attendees, which included a good number of faculty members and students ranging from undergraduates to Ph.D. candidates. I chatted with Downey Brill, the former chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at North Carolina State University, and with several of his grad students. This reminded me of the benefits students get by attending ASCE conferences and events. They have the chance to work the room and make connections with working professionals.
Through participating in student competitions, students can develop key leadership skills in a team environment, which will be central to their success as they grow into their professional roles. The upcoming Concrete Canoe competition at the University of Washington in Seattle in mid-June is a prime example of an event that balances fun with leadership development. Before and during this event, students lead their teams in determining the best ways to build their canoes, test them and ultimately participate in this national competition. Leadership skills are the foundation of professional success. ASCE events offer unique settings for developing these skills. After you graduate, it is important to continue to engage in these events and to network as a young professional. ASCE realizes the importance of supporting Student Chapters and wants to reward your Student Chapter for its instrumental efforts at helping you develop these leadership skills. When you upgrade from student member to a full ASCE membership, a portion of your dues goes back to your Student Chapter to help other young civil engineering students realize their professional goals. You can find out more by visiting http://www.asce.org/inside/stud_chapacts.cfm.
What are you doing to develop your leadership skills and what are you doing to make a difference in your Student Chapter? Please remember there is no "I" in team.