Page 16 - CEGE Spring 2023

STUDENTPROFILES
Student Leaders Take
on Multiple Roles
The largest professional engineering group for CEGE students is the American Society for Civil Engineers (ASCE) Student Chapter. The group offers fun, connection, knowledge, competition, study help, and exposure to engineering professionals and companies. The students who step up to lead this dynamic group are themselves dynamic. This year the President of the University of Minnesota Student Chapter of ASCE is Anthony (AJ) Tabura,
and Chandler Lallak serves as the Vice President.
AJ will complete his Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree in the spring of 2023, with a focus on transportation. “I’ve always been interested in public transit and transportation in general, so I’ve been set on pursuing civil engineering for many years. Ultimately, I chose to attend the University of Minnesota due to the great opportunities I’d get by being a part of such a high-quality civil engineering department. Upon graduation, I plan to work in transportation engineering and improve our country’s transportation infrastructure.”
Over his time in CEGE, AJ received multiple scholarships, including a Sommerfeld Scholarship and the Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik and
“I LOVE BEING ABLE TO SHARE OUR AMAZING DEPARTMENT—AND CIVIL ENGINEERING AS A WHOLE—WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. MY MANY LEADERSHIP ROLES HELP ME DO THAT. THE SCHOLARSHIPS
I RECEIVED HAVE ALLOWED ME TO REDUCE MY WORKING HOURS, SO I HAVE AMPLE TIME TO STUDY AND STILL BE A PART OF AS MANY EXTRACURRICULARS AS I CAN.”
AJ Tabura
AJ Tabura, President of the ASCE UMN Student Chapter 2022-2023
Associates Scholarship. He was especially proud to receive the John J. Connors Scholarship, which supports CEGE undergraduate students who are actively engaged in the college community or community outreach activities.
And AJ is certainly engaged. “I’ve always prided myself on my participation in
the CEGE Community. I’m a part of
the Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering Student Ambassadors,
the Interdisciplinary Transportation Student Organization (ITSO), and I have a job as the department’s undergraduate outreach coordinator. Leadership has always been a big part of my life, which is why I have become the president of
the American Society of Civil Engineers chapter at the University of Minnesota.
I love being able to share our amazing department—and civil engineering as a whole—with as many people as possible. My many leadership roles help me do that. The scholarships I received have allowed me to reduce my working hours, so I have ample time to study and still
be a part of as many extracurriculars as I can.”
The main responsibility of the ASCE Vice President is coordinating the ASCE UMN Career Fair. It is completely student-led, and Chandler Lallak was the engine that made it happen in the fall of 2022. His duties included everything from inviting employers to participate in the Career Fair to ordering lunch. Things went very smoothly, a testament to Chandler’s organizational skills.
Chandler is no stranger to involvement. He has held the office of Treasurer for ASCE, Captain of the Concrete Canoe Team, and was a member of the Steel Bridge Team.
Valuing his variety of experiences, Chandler made it his goal to help other engineering students engage in more
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