In the Spotlight - Pelin Kanay '22
Summer 2020
Tell us little about yourself and why civil engineering? 
I found engineering by focusing and understanding my passions and interests. While in high school, I stepped back to think about what motivated me in my classes. My attraction to math and science and my commitment to solving problems made it clear to me that I wanted to pursue engineering in college. When I heard that Stony Brook University was a renowned STEM SUNY school, and when I was admitted into their Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program, I decided to study engineering at SBU.
Originally, I was an engineering science major. I chose engineering science thinking that it was general engineering where I could learn about all the fields in engineering and then choose one that fit me best. I learned engineering science is its own unique field and was not a good fit for me, but I am glad I started my education there. In the same year, I knew I wanted to be involved. My greatest regret from high school was my minimal involvement in school-related activities, so I signed up for as many groups that appealed to me as I could at the Stony Brook engineering involvement fair. The SBU chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) was one such club. At the time, I was fascinated by the amount of detail that goes into infrastructure since it affects everyone. In addition, I always enjoyed attending ASCE’s general membership meetings. They had guest speakers come in from various companies on Long Island such as Poscillico and H2M to speak about what they did. This helped me become aware of my options after graduation. Listening to their passion for their projects, I felt ready to switch to CIV. On top of this, I attended ASCE’s Workshop for Student Chapter Leaders which is a multiregional leadership conference that brings together student chapters from schools across the East Coast (our group of regions is 1, 2, 4, & 5). At the conference I had the opportunity to meet countless students, professionals, and ASCE board members. A weekend of being surrounded by civil engineers passionate about their careers made it clear that I wanted to be a civil engineer too.
Now, I’ve just finished my sophomore year of college as an official civil engineering
student. I was the treasurer of our Stony Brook ASCE student chapter for the 2019-2020
school year, and I was elected club’s president for next year. This summer, I have
an internship with Whiting Turner thanks to the Construction Institute’s Student Days
program through ASCE I took advantage of last summer.
To younger CIV students, don’t feel like you need to know more about civil engineering to be involved; it’s better to get involved earlier rather than later. It doesn’t have to be with ASCE, but I do highly recommend ASCE because ASCE offers exposure to internships, jobs, scholarships, and conferences-- it is not just a school club, it’s a national organization. Moreover, it is better to come in early, because you can learn more. School is important for this career, but developing yourself professionally can be equally important. So I suggest to not wait to get involved and to remember that it’s okay to not know a lot, since you will learn!
Outside of civil engineering, one of my favorite pastimes is to spend hours on a puzzle.
I also enjoy watching baking shows, especially the Great British Baking Show. With
the information and baking knowledge I get from the shows, I like to experiment with
recipes on my own. I also decided to do a minor in anthropology, partially because
I wanted to take classes outside of engineering and also because the credits I obtained
from studying abroad in Madagascar last summer covered half of the requirements for
the minor.
Right now, I am not sure what I will be specializing in Civil Engineering, so I am open to learning all of it. My goals after I graduate are not specific yet, but I hope to graduate at the end of my fourth year having gotten my FE and having completed my CIV, WISE, and anthropology (minor) curriculum. Afterwards, I’ll aim to have a job at a civil engineering firm where I can work towards my PE and possibly complete a master’s degree.