Steinar Goheen, a fourth-year architecture student at Washington State University, is passionate about historical preservation and aims to work in that field. Recently, they (Steinar) participated in the week-long Strong-Tie Undergraduate Fellowship trip, which comprises educational visits to various Simpson Strong-Tie branches in California, witnessing product manufacturing, and exploring San Francisco, including a visit to Alcatraz. Join Steinar as they recount their educational journey and share memorable moments from the trip. 

My name is Steinar Goheen (they/them), and I am going into my fourth year of architecture at Washington State University. I had originally wanted to be a civil engineer, but I decided that I needed to find a career path that would allow me to express my aesthetic passions. Architecture is the perfect balance of problem-solving and creative thinking. A question that I am asked fairly frequently is “What kinds of buildings do you want to design someday?” I often respond with “None!” As my education has progressed, the classes that have engaged me most are those that teach the history and the theory behind decaying buildings. Therefore, I can most easily see myself going into a career of historical preservation.

I was made aware of the Simpson Strong-Tie Student Scholarship via representatives that came to visit my school. Every year, WSU hosts the Simpson Strong-Tie Symposium. Over the course of a day, engineers and managers share their experiences working for Simpson and allow us to be hands-on with their products. The scholarship was announced at this event, and I applied not too long afterwards!

The Simpson Strong-Tie Student Scholarship is part of the Strong-Tie Undergraduate Fellowship, which includes tuition funding but also an all-expenses-paid trip to Simpson facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area. The trip took in visits to offices, laboratories and a manufacturing plant in Pleasanton and Stockton. We talked with structural engineers, as well as senior executives. Our hosts also took us sightseeing around San Francisco, and we even got to visit Alcatraz Island and the penitentiary — speaking of historical structures!

After all the events that we participated in, my strongest takeaway is just how much Simpson Strong-Tie cares for their employees. Additionally, they made me and my cohort of scholarship recipients feel right at home. It felt like we were family!

For me, the most powerful part of the trip was being able to meet so many students from all over the United States. It’s very easy to get stuck in your own lane in school, especially in the architecture discipline. Being able to network with people from different cultural backgrounds and geographic areas is a true gift. Every night, a group of us would gather in the hot tub to discuss various events from the past day or things that we have going on at our own schools. I think I will probably remember those nights for the rest of my life. Additionally, being able to construct benches that will directly benefit a charitable organization was an empowering feeling!

Overall, I would just like to thank Simpson Strong-Tie for their hospitality and for such a wonderful opportunity! Meeting so many kind people has greatly helped my confidence as I move forward in my career. Although I’m unsure where I want my career to go at this precise moment, I’m sure the experiences I had and the connections I’ve made on this trip will help me along the way!