December 08, 2023

Jacob Dodge grew up in a household full of Tiger Pride. Both his mom and older brother are Mizzou alumni, but he didn’t decide to become a Tiger until visiting Mizzou Engineering and learning about the traditions, opportunities and facilities at the College.

Since then, Dodge has taken advantage of those opportunities, getting involved in student organizations and peer mentoring. His high school-fascination with civil engineering and architecture has only grown, and after graduation he plans to continue his education by earning a Master of Science in Civil Engineering at Mizzou.

Dodge shared more about his Mizzou Engineering experience below.

How did you get involved at Mizzou?

One of the ways that I have gotten involved at Mizzou is joining Mizzou Steel Bridge Team, a civil engineering competition team. The overall goal of the team is to completely design, fabricate and compete with a 1/10 scale bridge made entirely of steel which is required to safely hold a 2,500-pound load. For the past 3 years, I have been lucky enough to hold a leadership position on the team. What I really enjoy about being involved in a club like this is having the opportunity to apply the technical concepts I’m learning in the classroom to real-world problems. In addition to this, being involved in an academic club has allowed me to learn leadership and communication skills that are necessary to excel in industry.

Another way that I have gotten involved at Mizzou is taking on the role of an engineering peer mentor. What this role consists of is meeting with freshmen engineering students from the Engineering 1000 class throughout the semester to offer advice and answer questions that they may have. Taking on this role has been super rewarding because I have been able to pass down my wisdom from years of experience as a College of Engineering student to those who are new to the environment. In addition to this, taking on this role has taught me leadership and communication skills that will help me excel in my future.

What’s your favorite thing about civil engineering?

My favorite thing about civil engineering at Mizzou is how many different disciplines are offered. Within the civil engineering program there are classes that pertain to transportation engineering, structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, construction management, hydrology and environmental engineering. Having the opportunity to experience all of these different fields really allowed me to decide what I enjoy the most and become a well-rounded engineer.

How has Mizzou Engineering helped you achieve your goals?

Mizzou Engineering has helped me achieve my goals by both teaching me the technical aspects involved in my degree program while also offering opportunities to work on my communication and leadership skills.

Why are you proud to be a Tiger?

I am proud to be a Tiger because of the exceptional reputation that the University of Missouri has. Being a part of and holding a degree from this university comes with pride in knowing that I’ve received an honorable education backed by a long history of tradition and success.

What would you tell someone who’s interested in coming to Mizzou?

The advice I would offer to someone who is interested in coming to Mizzou is to do it! The campus is beautiful, the education is outstanding, there are so many opportunities to get involved in anything you’re interested in, and the people here will be friends who you cherish for a lifetime.