Serena Tewoldeberhan is a junior civil engineering major, concentrating in structural and geotechnical engineering. She was born and raised in Asmara, Eritrea, but moved to the United States her sophomore year of high school. She was inspired to study civil engineering by her father, who worked on community construction projects in Eritrea when she was a child. Serena grew up learning about civil engineering and construction, and saw how significant this discipline is for a community and society at large. This was inspiring to her, and she said, “I wanted to contribute to my community by designing homes, schools, and places where people can live their lives.”
Serana enrolled at The Catholic University of America in Fall 2022. Since arriving, she has excelled academically and accomplished a lot through her involvement in the community. She joined the American Society for Civil Engineers (ASCE) chapter on campus as symposium coordinator her sophomore year. Now in her second year of the position, Serena organizes the funding and logistics of the chapter’s participation at the ASCE Mid-Atlantic West Symposium. She said, “it is great to take students there, where we can interact with other schools and learn from each other.” In addition to organizing the chapter’s participation in this annual event, Serena helps plan and facilitate events, such as, resume workshops and guest speakers, which provide ASCE students with valuable career insight and preparation.
Serena is also a member of the National Society Black Engineers (NSBE) student chapter at Catholic University, where she plans professional workshops, guest speakers, and group visits at regional conferences hosted by NSBE and the Black Engineers Yearly Award (BEYA). In regard to her work with NSBE, she said, “the goal is to connect black engineering students with the professional world so that they are given opportunities that help them when they graduate.” Developing relationships and networks is pivotal in engineering and Serena’s work with NSBE in facilitating this for our students is inspiring.
Serena has also completed two summer internships since arriving at the School of Engineering. Her first internship, which she completed the summer after her freshman year, was with WCS Construction, a contracting company that works projects throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. As an intern, Serana learned the basics of construction and received a firsthand look at the skills she would soon be mastering as a civil engineering student the next few years. The summer leading into her junior year, she was offered an internship at Bozzuto Construction, based out of Greenbelt, Maryland, where she further developed her knowledge on building design, inspiring her to switch her program concentration to structural engineering. Through this enriching experience, she also decided to pursue a master's in structural engineering at Catholic University via the five-year, Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Program. She will begin her third internship this upcoming summer with Structura, Inc.
When asked about her experience as student at the School of Engineering, Serena said, “I love attending Catholic University because it continues to provide me with amazing resources, such as my advisor Dr. Gunnar Lucko, who has been a pivotal person in getting these internships and scholarships, as well as giving me advice on how to navigate college. Catholic University also gave me lifelong friendships, partnerships, and experiences that have helped me grow as a person. I am grateful for all the experiences I've had in all my clubs and with my peers.”
Serena exemplifies what it means to be an Catholic University engineer and leader—motivated to grow, knowledgeable for the service of others, and creative for the common good. Through her active participation in the academic community, to her pursuit in becoming an expert in structural engineering through the many professional opportunities she has taken advantage of, Serena is well prepared to enter the industry and make a lasting impact on people's lives.