2024 Metropolitan Section Student Symposium Sponsored by Quadrant Engineering
My name is Nicholas DeSena, I am an Intern at Quadrant, as well as Stony Brook University ASCE Student Chapter’s Outreach Chair this past year. Next year, I will be transitioning to the role of Treasurer with our Student Chapter. All of my experiences with ASCE, as well as Quadrant, have been an absolute pleasure, and I wanted to take some time to reflect on the experience of Stony Brook’s hosting of the 2024 Metropolitan Section Student Symposium this past year.
When I first learned that Stony Brook University would be hosting the Symposium, I was not exactly sure what to expect. I understood from the outset that organizing the Symposium would be a substantial endeavor, requiring concerted effort from numerous individuals. As a pivotal event, the Symposium holds immense significance for all participants, providing a platform for students to showcase their Chapters' and Competition Teams' achievements while fostering connections with fellow students, ASCE Leadership, and Professional Organizations. At Stony Brook, our team recognized the magnitude of the task at hand; we knew that accomplishing this event would demand considerable time and manpower. It was a profound honor for our Student Chapter, and I enthusiastically embraced the challenge. My forthcoming summer internship with Rafiq, the ASCE Metropolitan Section President, and the Quadrant Team positioned me well to contribute meaningfully. My internship experience with Quadrant has been exceptionally rewarding, and maintaining a close rapport with Rafiq throughout the past year has proven invaluable in our Symposium planning and execution.
Hosting was a true team effort between Stony Brook Student Chapter’s Hosting Team, ASCE Leadership, and all attendees involved. Planning started a year in advance, with student leaders setting timelines and goals before summer of 2023. "I would like to extend a special, sincere thank you and shout out to everyone at the Stony Brook Student Chapter who helped make this event a success. It was such a pleasure and honor to work alongside this Hosting Team, who have worked tirelessly and in an organized and professional manner throughout the year. They have taught me many important skills that I will carry on as I look to continue to grow and bolster our Student Chapter in the future.
As our chapter’s Outreach Chair, my job this year was to maintain contact and relationships with professional organizations, faculty, other schools, ASCE leadership, and any other contacts for the Symposium, reaching out via email and hosting meetings throughout the year. With the Symposium coming up, the biggest item was to secure funding from our partnered organizations to help make the event a reality. We at the student Chapter are so grateful for all of the companies and individuals, including Quadrant, that have helped us turn the entire weekend into a huge success. We were very happy to hold a networking event during the Symposium that helped benefit the professional organizations and student attendees alike, as well as represent donors on all of our merchandise for the Symposium.
Without our sponsors, our hosting of the Symposium simply would not have been possible, as the costs of booking venues, ordering food, and purchasing equipment for our design teams quickly ramped up out of our original club's budget. The support that is provided by our partnered organizations will never go unthanked or unnoticed, and I believe that the importance of their help to make the Symposium a reality cannot be understated. The benefits that the Symposium brought to all of the emerging professionals attending will continue to help them throughout their college and professional careers. It was an honor and a privilege to see this event through from start to finish and know that we have had an impact on the lives of others. I would like to thank, on the behalf of our entire Student Chapter, everyone who helped out in any way! You have helped inspire and change the lives of our next generation of leaders!
