Outstanding Senior Spotlight: Freesia Finn
For graduating civil and environmental engineering student Freesia Finn, her experiences on the University of California, Davis, campus have been a significant part of her growth as an engineer.
As an undergraduate, Finn has been involved in student organizations and projects. In “Big Sis/Little Sis,” a mentorship program organized by the Society of Women Engineers at UC Davis, Finn gained valuable guidance from fellow engineering students.
“Getting involved with student life on campus was a great way to make friends and connections, get impromptu mentorship, and learn how to apply engineering concepts outside the classroom,” Finn said.
In her senior year, Finn served as president of the UC Davis branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers, or ASCE. As president, Finn organized events such as the ASCE x Chi Epsilon annual career fair, which allows students to network with over 30 civil engineering companies.
“I had never had event planning experience before, so arranging a two-day event with over 30 companies was an ordeal, but it taught me a lot,” she said.
She also participated in Environmental Project and Concrete Canoe, two project teams in the ASCE, and spoke on the club’s podcast, “Let’s Get Civil,” where she discussed diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, within the context of civil and environmental engineering. Her appearance on the podcast was inspired by a first-year seminar she took at UC Davis, which discussed engineering within a framework of DEI.
“I was struck by how the course looked at inequity within engineering and the communities our projects impact,” Finn said. “Topics of cultural competence, engineering ethics and the interdisciplinary aspect of civil engineering were concepts I took with me throughout my four years here.”
After graduation, Finn will move to Seattle to work for KPFF Consulting Engineers. She looks forward to working on sustainable development and incorporating water quality control treatment into stormwater control measures.