Senior Saroja Geibel gets a kick out of doing the unimaginable. Making concrete float is just one of those almost-impossible accomplishments.
“The biggest problem is probably making the mix design so that it is less dense than the weight of water so the canoe will actually float,” Geibel said about the project.
Geibel is a double major in Civil Engineering and Mathematics at the University of Idaho. While most students look at complex math problems and cringe, Geibel enjoys tackling challenges that have to do with math and science.
Her passion for these topics sprouted in high school when she took her first physics class. Geibel said she knew she had a knack for mathematics, so she decided to major in it in college.
Kira Hunter | Argonaut
Senior Saroja Geibel discusses her future path toward becoming a graduate in the College of Engineering program at the University of Idaho.
After spending time with her uncle who is an engineer, Geibel became inspired and determined to get a degree in the field of engineering as well.
Not only has she excelled in her engineering classes, but she was also nominated to be the president of the American Society of Civil Engineers Concrete Canoe, which she eagerly accepted.
The organization”s goal is fairly straightforward: to build a concrete canoe. Yet, the steps of this process are much more complex.
As president, Geibel is in charge of holding meetings, keeping track of her team members and managing the design. Once they have successfully created a mix design that doesn”t sink when placed in water, they begin building.
Geibel will ensure that the canoe is ready to race in the competition against many other Northwestern colleges, including some from Canada.
Despite the hard work required for the competition, she said it will be rewarding to be in charge of a group of people.
Geibel said that she has never been one for stepping up to the plate when it comes to leadership positions, so Concrete Canoe will allow her to break out of her comfort zone.
This kind of hands-on experience makes Geibel feel like she has a head start in her engineering classes when they cover some of the same concepts.
While the majority of her fellow classmates are men, she said it doesn”t come as much of a concern to her.
“When we are assigned group projects, I”m usually the only girl in my group,” she said. “I can see how that would bother other girls, but I don”t really mind.”
Geibel believes the unbalanced ratio of male to female doesn”t affect her education and shouldn”t affect other women in the engineering program either.
She said she has benefitted from going to the civil engineering computer lab where there are many students in fields related to hers that she said are more than often willing to help.
Aside from being president of Concrete Canoe and working on her bachelor”s degree in science in two majors, Geibel still manages to find free time for her other interests. When she isn”t in class or at a club meeting, she likes to read, rock climb or play board games.
“Don”t try to overload yourself with classes,” Geibel said. “Try to make some time for fun.”
Jessica Gee can be reached at [email protected]