RALEIGH COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – Hundreds of civil engineering students gathered at Lake Stephens for the American Society of Civil Engineers Virginias Student Symposium.
The students showcased their civil engineering skills, like constructing a concrete canoe. And there were unforgettable competitions and experiences.
The Concrete Canoe Races are a passion project that the students put much time and effort into.
“It’s like our little baby, our canoe. Just seeing it floating and the joy of all my friends, our students being able to do it,” said Pablo Rubio, a junior. “We are all so happy, so proud of the university. It means a lot to us and we have learned a lot along the way.”
Civil Engineering and Construction Management Professor Kase Poling says the Symposium is the highlight of his career and it’s rewarding to see the students blossom in this process. It allows them to apply things they learn in the classroom to real-world scenarios.
“During our canoe building — we had electrical engineering, civil, mechanical, construction management,” said the professor. “The whole campus kind of rallied behind us and got to participate in this event.”
WVU Tech tapped into a great way to challenge these future engineers.
“It’s been a good experience to get closer to my classmates and learn more about civil engineering and different aspects of it,” Sophomore Eden Miller said. “Everything we’ve been planning is coming into place, and all these preparations are finally happening.”
Making an impact in the civil engineering professional community, the WVU Tech students are thrilled to demonstrate their design and building ability.
“Not only about the fun and the competition. I’m a competitive person; that’s a fun part of it,” said Poling. “But they’re meeting with people who are their future employers or people they may be employing, their coworkers they meet out in the field. Making memories they’ll remember for a lifetime.
