SSE Intern helps design and construct safer water system in Guatemala as part of Engineers Without Borders

The Engineers Without Borders volunteers and residents
lay pipe in Nahualate, Guatemala

Lake Ozark – Engineering Intern Tyler Bick returned to the lake area last week after a weeklong trip that started months ago. Tyler traveled to Nahualate, Guatemala to help see the construction of a potable drinking water system that had been designed by a team from Engineers without Borders.   There were 300 agricultural homes in the area that had shallow wells which would not produce a safe level of quantity or quality drinking water.

 

Nahualate, Guatemala

 

As one the 10 poorest countries in Latin America, Guatemala is a prime example of how students like Tyler gain real world experience, as well as meet the future leaders of the industry. Tyler said, “The biggest challenge was trying to design a system you could not visually see, examine or inspect in person, so relying on past teams who had been in the area, as well as teams currently there, taught me about teamwork I never learned in my classes.” Tyler went on to say, “I have travelled before and even studied abroad for a semester 100 miles south of the Arctic circle, but the adventure of Guatemala and being able to see how happy the townspeople were when clean drinking water was available to them was really exciting.  I plan on going back after I graduate in December to see the completed water tower we helped to design.”

 

Project faculty advisor Dr. Richard Stephenson added, Tyler is the perfect fit for this type of project. He has that adventurous spirit, and the inherent nature to want to help those in need. Having Tyler on the team was a huge asset. You can tell he is one of those students who will succeed after graduation and in life.”

 

Dr. Ronaldo Luna of Missouri S&T, Ing Luis Garcia

Ing Fernando Callejas, Todd Williams P.E., and Tyler Bick

Tyler came to SSE in the beginning of the summer of 2013 and has quickly become one of the family. Owner Stan Schultz concluded, “Having a young man with Tyler’s energy, knowledge and skills was a big help on our projects this summer.  I almost hate to see him go back to school, but I know he needs to finish his classwork and have no doubt he will be successful wherever he lands after graduation.”

 

To learn more about the Missouri Science and Technology Student Engineers Without Borders Chapter go here.

To learn more about Engineers Without Borders click here.

To see Tyler’s photo album from his trip to Guatemala visit our Facebook album page here.

 

 

LARGE TURNOUT IN HANNIBAL FOR TRANSPORTATION MEETING

AUDIO LINKS:

Rod Jetton on importance of building roads and improving infrastructure

Click HERE for the full interviews

The Missouri Department of Transportation told participants in Hannibal Monday that the current budget of $700 million will be just enough to maintain Missouri's existing system.

An additional $500 million a year would be needed to get the state back to budget levels of recent years but still shy of what's required.

Former House Speaker Rod Jetton controlled the gavel from 2005-2008
(file photo courtesy of House photographer Tim Bommel)

Click here to learn more about Schultz & Summers Engineering

Schultz and Summers Engineering Receives 2012 Best of Kenner Award

Schultz and Summers Engineering has been selected for the 2012 Best of Kenner Award in the Civil Engineers category by the Kenner Award Program committee. Each year, the Kenner Award Program identifies companies they believe have achieved exceptional success in marketing within their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and the Kenner community. Those companies help make the Kenner, Louisiana area a great place to live, work and play.

SSE Owner Stan Schultz added, “We have worked hard to serve all our Louisiana customers in our efforts to rebuild the levee system and house-raising around New Orleans. Having the Best of Kenner Award committee recognize our efforts is very satisfying.”

Stan Schultz, Owner

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2012 Kenner Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Kenner Award Program and data provided by third parties.

Schultz and Summers Engineering is a Missouri based Civil Engineering Company located in multiple locations around the Midwest and is based out of Poplar Bluff, Missouri. In 2008 they opened a branch office in Kenner Louisiana to focus on providing surveying and materials testing service on the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) flood control projects. They have a large state of the art USACE validated testing lab and are one of the select companies that have been approved for Blanket Purchase Agreement with the USACE. To date, SSE has provided QC testing services on 20 different projects for companies such as Tetra Tech, AWC, Aquatera, Conti, WR Compass, Southern Services and LS&CKY to name just a few. 

SSE Kenner manager Thomas Hudson concluded, “This recognition is the result of all our employees hard work. They take seriously our job of supplying the best material testing and surveying services to our customers. We will continue to do all we can to help rebuild the levee’s protecting New Orleans.”