A born builder constructs his way to a career in civil engineering: Sam’s graduation story

It’s that time of year! So many CSF Scholars are turning into CSF alums! Sam Milsap, a graduate of Rogers High School in Spokane, is one of them–a newly-minted University of Washington grad. We caught up with him to learn more about his new career and how CSF was there for him throughout his education.

Sam enjoyed being creative and building things as a young person, but when he was first introduced to engineering in high school he wasn’t sure what “engineering” meant. Sam ended up taking engineering classes during high school which equipped him to take on college and arrive at his eventual career discipline: civil engineering.

“I thought ‘Intro to Engineering’ was going to be a computer class with typing, but that’s not at all what it was,” revealed Sam. “As a 12th grader, I ended up taking classes that covered aerospace, civil, and architectural engineering. I fell in love with those subjects.”

CSF advisor Dawn Gering supported Sam throughout high school and when it was time to start applying to colleges, she assisted him as he secured financial aid and scholarships–including CSF’s Leadership 1000 Scholarship, which for four years, allowed Sam to focus on his studies and allocate his resources towards other living expenses.

Sam and his high school sweetheart Aleah Davis, now a CSF alum herself, graduated from the University of Washington on the same day as Sam with her bachelor’s in sociology.

“When I  received Sam and Aleah’s graduation announcement card in the mail,” mentions Dawn. “Seeing that both of them were graduating from UW, I’m so glad they were able to continue to support each other. And, hearing that Sam has a job lined up…how wonderful…good for him! ”

As the youngest of five boys, Sam admired his older brother Adrian and his academic accomplishments. Adrian had been the first in his family to graduate from college. “He moved from Spokane and came over to Western Washington University,” recalled Sam. “I knew it was tough for him, being on his own, and I’ve shared some of that same experience.”

Throughout his college years, Sam participated in an engineering club at school and during his junior year, Sam interned as a drainage engineer with Seattle Public Utilities. “Outside of knowing all of these technical skills, I’ve come to learn that soft skills, people skills are just as important when it comes to landing that job.”

At the National Society of Black Engineers’ career fair last winter, Sam connected with a representative from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton. Soon after his initial meeting, he interviewed twice and was offered a position as a Naval Architect–all before graduation day. Having a job secured provided him with peace of mind to focus on his capstone final project.

As for what Sam’s new job entails: “I will be performing maintenance and operations for the structures of the ship–managing things like corrosion and anything that gets bolted onto the ship. I will be working a lot with the technicians,” explained Sam.

We look forward to catching up with you again soon, Sam and Aleah. All the best to you!