Skip to main content
  • Home
  • News
  • Tech students recognized by contractor’s association for outstanding academics

Tech students recognized by contractor’s association for outstanding academics

WVU Tech students Dakota Smith and Joshua Workman were recently awarded scholarships from the Contractors Association of West Virginia Scholarship Foundation at CAWV’s State Meeting in Charleston.

Civil engineering major Dakota Smith received a scholarship from the foundation for his work at Tech. The Sumerco, West Virginia native is in his sophomore year and is an active member of the WVU Tech chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He eventually wants to land a career where he can work in his areas of interest: buildings, bridges and geotechnical engineering. 

“The thing about civil engineering that excites me is the problem solving, infrastructure and the things we can do to better society as a whole,” he said.

WVU Tech civil engineering major, Joshua Workman.

Scholarship recipient Joshua Workman, a civil engineering major who commutes to campus from his hometown of Fayetteville, West Virginia, is in his final semester of the program. During his time at Tech, Workman has worked full-time and is an active member of ASCE. He recently accepted a position with Orders Construction. The father of two starts the job in the spring, and he hopes to launch a long and fruitful career as a civil engineer. 

“Throughout my time in college, I have focused on consistently holding myself to a higher standard of work ethic to achieve my goal of being the best role model I can be to my children,” he said. “I have aspired to not be just another high school statistic but a successful college graduate.”

Smith and Workman were recognized alongside students from Marshall University, Fairmont State University, Bluefield State College and West Virginia University.

CAWV Scholarship Foundation chairman and former Association president Gene Thompson said in a press release that the scholarship recipients were chosen for their academics, leadership qualities and work experience.

“They have committed themselves to educational excellence and each one of them will bring a unique benefit to West Virginia’s construction industry in the years to come,” he said. 

CAWV is the state’s largest full-service construction association, representing more than 425 firms in the building, highway and utility construction industry throughout West Virginia.

Read more about the scholarship program from CAWV.

Archives