Alicia Lonsinger is a Civil Engineering major from Walhonding, Ohio, currently in her junior year.

Growing up on a farm, Alicia always knew she would need a career where she was not constantly in an office. Her love of STEM field trips, math in school, and her dad’s career as an engineer led to Alicia’s consideration of engineering for her own future. After attending a summer engineering camp, she decided that Civil Engineering was the best fit with her interests.

Once it was time to look for a place to pursue her college education, Alicia found YSU. Our engineering reputation along with our emphasis on hands-on learning stood out to her, and she enjoyed her campus tour and found the students and staff to be very friendly. Alicia is grateful to have decided on YSU and has had some amazing experiences since joining the YSU family!

From her first year, Alicia has worked with the Coshocton County Engineer’s Office. She started off with visual maintenance tasks but, as she has advanced in her degree, they have assigned her more engineering-related jobs when she returns to work over winter breaks. For example, she helped design a couple projects that began with surveying an area of concern and then used AutoCAD Civil 3D to virtually create the area and design an improved version. She created and presented plan sheets to the county engineer and was able to relate her coursework and fieldwork experiences.

Alicia is currently an intern with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), a position she secured through the YSU STEM Expo. Through ODOT, she is rotating through the various fields of Civil Engineering to see which one she prefers. She is currently in her traffic and safety rotation, but recently completed structures and pavements, which she enjoyed!

Alicia encourages students who are interested in civil engineering to get involved as early as possible with hands-on learning experiences and student organizations in order to connect with upperclassmen who can offer you great advice and perspective and make connections that can lead to a job upon graduation. And she has certainly followed her own advice! Since joining the YSU community, Alicia is on the track team, part of the Sokolov Honors College, a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (currently Treasurer and Academics and Paddling Lead of the Concrete Canoe team), the Society for Women Engineers, Phi Sigma Rho, Pi Mu Epsilon, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Alicia also volunteers with First-Year Student Services and works in the STEM Dean’s Office!

After graduation, Alicia hopes to continue on with ODOT and eventually contribute to society by starting a children’s STEM Museum near her hometown to introduce STEM concepts to young learners, teaching them that STEM is important and fun!

Interested in civil engineering? Learn more HERE.