Daphne Milkert, a senior at Milwaukee School of Engineering is a recipient of the 2023 Simpson Strong-Tie Scholarship. During her scholarship trip to the Bay Area, she engaged in activities like visiting Pier 39, exploring the Tyrell Gilb Research Lab, and participated in a hands-on tradeshow showcased the versatility of Simpson Strong-Tie products. Discover her insights from the trip and what she found valuable about her experiences and the connections she made.

Hello, my name is Daphne Milkert. I am a senior soccer player and architectural engineering student specializing in structural systems at Milwaukee School of Engineering. I was drawn to engineering through an outreach event with my high school’s Society of Women Engineers, where I was able to shadow a few engineering students throughout their school day.

Growing up, I was a huge fan of building with Legos, so naturally I was drawn to architectural engineering! Since then, I’ve spent two summers working as a Structural Engineer Intern at Kiewit Power Engineers in Lenexa, Kansas. There, I’ve had the opportunity to learn more about how a structural engineering role fits into the power generation market. I’ve gotten to work on steel and concrete design for natural gas power plant projects, as well as renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and carbon capture. I am hoping to pursue a career in structural engineering, particularly structural engineering for power generation projects. Sustainability is a big deal for me when considering a career opportunity, and I’d like to explore the renewable energy market more in the future.

I initially heard about the Simpson Strong-Tie Student Scholarship through an announcement sent by our school’s Civil/Architectural Engineering Department. Prior to that, I had only ever seen Simpson products at Home Depot! I was surprised that on top of the $2,000 scholarship, Simpson was generous enough to sponsor a 5-day, all-expenses-paid trip to the Bay Area. I had never visited the state of California before this trip, so this was an all–new experience for me!

On our first day, we took a trip to Alcatraz and Pier 39, where we all got to enjoy riding the ferry and exploring the historical prison site. I found it really interesting to learn about the 1962 prison break and see the rooms where this occurred. 

The next day, we got to check out the company’s Tyrell (Tye) Gilb Research Lab, attend a Simpson Strong-Tie tradeshow, and go axe-throwing. I especially enjoyed the tradeshow because it was a hands-on demonstration of the different uses for Simpson products. After exploring the Tye Gilb Lab and seeing the scale of some of the timber frames being tested, I realized how useful Simpson connections can be for bigger residential construction projects. 

Our last day was my favorite because we got to use Simpson products to build benches for charity. This was a great way to get to know some of the other scholarship recipients and to practice building hands-on using Simpson Strong-Tie connectors. That same day, we also got to participate in a Q&A panel with Simpson’s Executive and Senior Leadership Team, as well as a jobsite tour. I left the Q&A panel with lots of great career and life advice from the guest speakers, plus I enjoyed getting to hear their stories and experiences!

I loved all of the activities that Simpson had planned for us, but the people and the personal connections were really the most valuable part of this trip. I got to meet 40 college students from all over the US with interests similar to mine, which was a great networking opportunity! It feels like I met someone from almost every state, and a few from my home state of Wisconsin. After talking with some of the other scholarship recipients, we realized how many friends and connections we had in common, either through school or through internship work. The construction/engineering industry is a lot smaller than you’d think! It was awesome that I went into this trip not knowing anybody and left with 40+ new friends and resources in the industry. Even though we are from all over the country, I have no doubt that I will run into them again someday.