The Structural Engineers Association of Southern California (SEAOSC) awarded civil engineering major Jon Kaneshiro ’16 a SEAOSC scholarship at its Student Scholarship Awards Ceremony in Monterey Park in early February.
“This was my first scholarship or academic award,” said Kaneshiro. “It was a pretty big thing for me.” The award validated his choice in major, considering he was initially a political science major in the College of Liberal Arts.
“It’s fate that I’m supposed to be here,” said Kaneshiro with a laugh. Explaining his interest in civil engineering, Kaneshiro wants to have a neutral, if not positive, impact on the world and connect with the environment. He also likes the technical side of the discipline.
“Jon stood out because of his contributions to the structural engineering field,” said Paul St. Pierre, a scholarship coordinator with SEAOSC. Kaneshiro was an engineering intern in Honolulu, HI. He also helped draft a bill that made it to the state legislature. Kaneshiro is a member of Engineers Without Borders, a student group that helps other communities in need, and Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society.
“This is something that we like to see in SEAOSC,” said St. Pierre. “SEAOSC is about giving back to the structural engineering field and Jon definitively shows this through his actions.”
