Making Waves on the Forty Acres

"After taking a high school civil engineering class, I did what any resourceful high schooler would do when making major life decisions: I googled 'best schools for civil engineering,'" joked Cambry Stratton.

Although she may have initially looked into the Cockrell School of Engineering through a Google search, Stratton knew the first time she stepped foot on campus that she made the right decision. Then, she set out to make the most of her four years here.

"I had a mindset of not saying no, which led me to various experiences outside of my studies including research exploration, studying abroad, and involvement in student organizations," Stratton said. "These experiences shaped my technical knowledge as a novice engineer as well as my broader world view and life perspective."

Throughout her time at Cockrell, Stratton spent time learning across engineering fields. She joined a geotechnical research lab, spent a summer as a drill blast intern at Kiewit, and served as co-chair of the Fariborz Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Advisory Board. She also gave the opening address at UT's annual volunteer leadership committee meeting last year.

"I think as an engineer at UT, you really develop a 'work hard, play hard' mentality," Stratton said. "You're spending so many hours studying and doing schoolwork that you really just want the most fun activity to do on the weekends."