Josiah Crawford

Major(s): Civil Engineering and Master of Business Administration Hometown: Des Moines, IA Activities and Involvements: Treasurer of the National Society of Black Engineers Peer Mentor for the Civil Engineering Learning Community Undergraduate research assistant Internships, Co-ops, and Research: I’ve completed three internships while at Iowa State; My first internship was in Wilmont, Minnesota (Southwest Minnesota in a town with a population of 400 people), working on a wind farm construction project. During my second internship, I helped construct a spacecraft component manufacturing facility in Broomfield, Colorado. My last internship was a construction project in Honolulu, Hawaii. I went from the middle of nowhere, Minnesota, to Hawaii, representing my growth over the past five years. Upon graduation, I will work as a Civil Engineering Analyst with Kimley-Horn in the solar-structural division in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. I will help my team design solar fields that are located all around the nation. Why Engineering: I chose engineering because I want to build a better world for my community and future kids. I have always loved math and science problems, so picking engineering was an easy choice. I chose Civil Engineering because it is satisfying building cool buildings and structures and seeing the product. We also (arguably) have the largest responsibility to work ethically to ensure our built infrastructure is safe, which is very fitting for me. Favorite ISU Memory: Going to California with my NSBE chapter for our 48^th annual national convention. I got to get to know my chapter on a deeper level, network with companies I never had an opportunity to speak with, and visit an area I’ve never been to before. Something Unique About Me: My last internship was in Hawaii, which was a unique opportunity. Words of Wisdom: Put yourself in uncomfortable situations, as this is really where you grow the most. You may be hesitant to step outside your comfort zone, but once you try something new and reflect upon it, you’ll be happy you made that decision. We learn and grow from all our mistakes and successes but playing “safe” in life slows you down from getting to where you want to be.