Ahmad Alasfar’s fondest memory of PNW has been building bridges – literally. 

“Ever since I was young, I was passionate about how things worked and more importantly why they worked,” said the junior Mechanical Engineering major. “I believe the seed for problem-solving was planted as a child facing adversity.

“I have always been fascinated by bridges, I loved the way bridges spanned great distances and connected people and places,” Alasfar said. “So, when I heard about the opportunity to design and build a bridge as part of the mechanical engineering program, I jumped at the chance.”

Students interested in building bridges must enroll in engineering courses that consist of lab every week for 5 weeks.  The labs introduce them to rudimentary trigonometry with a focus on triangles, finding missing angles and lengths.

They are then introduced to different structures, like cranes, support systems, and truss bridges. 

Truss bridges are made entirely of triangles. Each segment is connected and built to complement the previous one.  Each segment is part of a triangle. Three segments make one triangle. 

Alasfar knew that the skills he had learned while building bridges would serve him well in the future.

“When problems arise, a solution must be discovered,” he said. “Problems are the catalyst for innovation.  As I got older it became apparent that each component contributed to a whole project. Each piece plays a role no matter how small.” 

As his team began building their bridge, Alasfar felt a sense of pride that he had never experienced before. He watched as the pieces came together, each fitting perfectly into place. And when the bridge was finally complete, he knew they had done something truly special.

It was the culmination of a year’s worth of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. And it was at that moment that he realized that anything was possible if he put his mind to it.

“Some might say, ‘It’s a 100-level class it doesn’t mean anything’, or ‘It was basic math and some glue’,’ he said. “I say it is the journey to the top. Every victory counts no matter how many because just like this bridge each segment is built off the last.

“Everything I had studied for, learned throughout my life, and obstacles I overcame granted me this opportunity to be successful,” he said.