Articles

ASCE Dallas at Lakeland Elementary in Lewisville

Alexis Clark and Jonathan Brower were recently invited to speak to a group of 26 gifted and talented 4th and 5th graders at Lakeland Elementary School in Lewisville by their teacher, Mrs. Kathy Pittinger.  Alexis and Jonathan started off with a brief recap of their young career paths in the civil engineering industry from college to internships and into their current day jobs in Dallas.  Jonathan then gave the students a brief overview of the entire civil engineering profession, including many of the sub-disciplines including: water resources, geotechnical, structural, transportation, and environmental engineering.  Several students in the class had just recently completed a bridge design project using tape and drinking straws.  To supplement this project, Alexis explained the various types of bridges that engineers design in the “real world”, including: beam and column, truss, suspension, and arch bridges.  The students then had plenty of time to ask questions about school, work, and general life lessons.  

The students’ pre-existing knowledge and interest in engineering was especially encouraging and impressive. We want to thank Mrs. Pittinger for opening up her classroom to ASCE Dallas, and we look forward to visiting this school in the future! Additional pictures from this event can be seen on the ASCE Dallas website here.