How I Spent My Summer Vacation: Civil Engineering Style

I knew that I was interested in engineering at a young age. My parents, who are engineers, recognized my love for science and how I tackled problems head-on and analyzed everything. So I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend summer engineering camps starting at around 7 years old at Carnegie Mellon’s “C-mite” program. There I embarked on my journey to discovering what I wanted to be when I grew up.

Fast forward a few years and I’m in another program as a high-school senior. Cornell Engineering's CURIE Academy is a one-week summer residential program for high-school girls who excel in math and science.

During the program, we had one session with the civil engineering department and their research team. This was the first time I had heard about this specific field of engineering. 

They discussed how the use of concrete is not environmentally sustainable and releases CO2 emissions into our atmosphere. We also learned that scientists are finding concrete is not strong for as long as originally thought. The CURIE team talked about how they are trying to find alternatives to concrete; they showed us a large 3-D printer used to print more eco-friendly molds of concrete (as compared to wooden molds). We also learned about a type of machine that exerts thousands and thousands of pounds of pressure onto little pieces of concrete to test their strength. 

At Cornell Engineering's CURIE Academy, Dylann was introduced to civil engineering and learned about material properties and testing methods for the first time.

It was definitely exciting to participate in a program with such passionate and bright young women. Honestly, it was quite refreshing to see so many girls interested in the field, as many still regard it as a male-dominated work environment. Women have such an attention to detail and passion for what they do, and women should be considered just as impactful in this field.

I think some girls do not consider STEM because they find it intimidating. Over the course of my academic career thus far, I’ve sometimes been in groups where I was the only girl. It can definitely be nerve racking. Not to mention, there’s always those few boys who give you side stares and look like they’re questioning why you’re there.

However, STEM is a place for all and should not be defined by gender or any other social construct. 

STEM allows for expression, discovery, creativity, breakthroughs, and so much else. Women deserve to experience that and girls would fall in love with it as long as they don’t let themselves get intimidated out of trying. Girls may also see STEM as bland, but STEM is quite literally a center for color, texture, variety, and such immense possibilities. Additionally, girls may not gravitate toward STEM because they were not exposed to it. 

I would recommend all girls trying something like the CURIE Academy because you never know what might excite you, get your gears turning, or help you find a passion you never knew you had. Placing yourself somewhere to learn about new things will push the envelope of what you thought you could accomplish.

Civil engineering fascinates me because it affects our daily lives. Most people get in their cars and drive to work and think nothing of what they are driving their vehicle over. When you walk into a building you don’t worry so much about whether it is strong and will hold you — but civil engineers do. I find it so interesting the way we use civil engineering to connect ourselves as a society and to our world. My biggest dream right now is to engineer things that give me pride and make some sort of difference. 

About the Author: Dylann Volz starts college in the fall of 2022. She has a penchant for engineering and a newfound interest in civil engineering, in particular. MOXY hopes to see Dylann have her hand in infrastructure one day.