Texas Section Leaders Help Shape the Future of Student Engagement at 2025 ASCE Summit

Author: Eva Reynal PE

At the 2025 ASCE Student Support Summit in Reston, Virginia, Russell Carter, Eva Reynal, and Clint Smith represented the Texas Section in a Society-wide effort to reimagine how ASCE supports students throughout their academic and early professional careers. Eva served on the Student Support Summit Committee and Implementation Team throughout the year to help bring the event to life. Clint attended as a representative of the MOSAIC and Younger Member Committees, contributing a vital perspective on creating equity and inclusion in the organization and the transition from Student to YM. Russell was recommended for his extensive experience as both a faculty and practitioner advisor, as well as his service on the Committee on Student Conferences and Competitions (CSCC).

The summit was attended by 48 members of ASCE, including students, professionals, and staff who share a goal in seeing success for our student members. The Summit focused on two key areas: Symposia as a Strategic Lever and Sustained Engagement Across Transitions. Discussions explored how the Student Symposia can further evolve to provide addition opportunities for student engagement,  leadership development, and professional networking. Ideas included gamifying ASCE exploration, expanding competition formats, and embedding mentoring and life-skills programming into symposia experiences. Equally important was the emphasis on continuing membership after college, and ensuring students remain connected as they graduate, relocate, and take on new roles. Strategies such as structured mentorship, “One ASCE” identity, increased interaction with students, and additional leadership development were highlighted to support long-term engagement and smoother transitions into the profession.