CEP Reflection

Like many freshmen at the University of Washington, I began as a Pre-

Engineering major. I quickly learned what a weed out class was and that I was not
meant to be an engineer. I had been certain of this career path since I was young, so I
was pretty disappointed when this goal was no longer viable.
Winter quarter of my sophomore year I took a Construction and Culture class and
found my passion. I knew a career in the construction industry is what I was meant to do
so I applied to the major. Unfortunately, I didnt get in because I was still trying to recover
from my freshman year grades. I talked to the CM adviser about options going forward
and she gave me some pretty discouraging advice, saying that those who dont do well
in school wont be successful in their future careers. I knew it wasnt true, but hearing
that so soon after finding out I didnt get into the program was especially disheartening.
She then went on to say I had two options; retake some of the classes and reapply or
look at other majors that were close to CM. I was on track to reapply, determined to get
in when I enrolled in CEP 200.
I had always been a very math and science based thinker, I mostly kept to myself
and my small circle of friends so CEP 200 really pushed me outside of my comfort zone.
I grew to really enjoy all of the discussion-based classes we had. It was completely
different than what I was use to but I found I adapted really well and started looking
more into the CEP Major.
One thing in particular thats really stuck with me was when I was in CEP 200
was something that was said at either an alumni panel or a student panel. Every single
one of them raved about the program and I distinctly remember one of the panelists
talking about how every employer loves to hire a CEP student because they quickly
realize how valuable those professional skills are when a new employee comes in
knowing them. Teaching professional skills is so unique and unlike any program Ive
ever heard of.
I went to the open house and spoke with Kelly and some other CEP students to
learn more about the major and to make sure I was doing all the necessary things to
apply and be admitted. I was still interested in pursuing a career in the construction
industry and the CEP curriculum gave me the flexibility to take specific CM courses
while also developing professional skills.
I was still carrying around the weight of my failed Freshman Pre-Engineering
grades so I was pretty disappointed when I was waitlisted. Fortunately I did well enough
the next quarter to push me over the benchmark and I was admitted.
CEP has always oozed this welcoming feeling. At orientation and first day of 301
it felt like everyone had known each other forever. You could go up to any single person
and strike up a conversation and feel totally at ease, which was completely opposite to
what I experienced in my previous classes. 301 was definitely a challenge for me
because I was born with the problem solving, math and science genes and not so much
the creative, expand your mind genes. The 301 final essay was the hardest paper Ive
ever written. That was the very first philosophy class I had ever taken and even by the
end of the quarter I was still having trouble understanding the readings and trying to
figure out how best to articulate what each philosopher was saying.
Interestingly enough, my favorite CEP course turned out to be 461; Philosophy of
Ethics with Keith. 301 wasnt exactly my favorite so I came into the class thinking I was
going to have a similar experience. It was a complete 180 and I ended up really looking
forward to class each week. I was so intrigued at each philosopher's description and
examples of what their form of ethics looked like. I really appreciated Keiths teaching
style as well. He took a backseat when he saw a really in-depth conversation happening
but still participated and asked questions that he was genuinely curious to hear our
thoughts on. It was easy to tell how passionate and excited he is about the subject so it
just made the class that much better. Additionally, giving us so much flexibility with our
final project made it easy to get excited about different ideas and also added in some
much needed fun during finals week.
Looking back, I had the most trouble with 303 and 460. In 303, if felt like there
was a bit of a disconnect between the students and one of the professors so it made it
made it difficult to fully engage. With 460, there was just a major lack of communication
between the students, the professors, and the clients. If certain people were appointed
to be the liaison between the students, professors, and the clients at the beginning,
things would have gone a bit smoother. There was still a lot of frustration both within and
between the groups and that was due to a lack of direction with the scope and
disorganization across teams. There were last minute team changes and trying to figure
out logistics with five people was a challenge but then we merged with another group
and things grew even more messy and unorganized. Branden and Rachel emphasized
that 460 usually turned into a crash course in how to deal with difficult co workers,
which it did a little bit. It was a little comical that the groups were set up so perfectly that
there were at least two people in every group that didnt mesh well together. Its funny
now, but I think most, if not all, wanted nothing to do with CEP group projects ever
again.
Thinking about what I wanted to say in this reflection, has made me come to the
realization that the majority of my college career has been trying to find out where I fit in
best. My freshman year was spent adjusting to college level academics and taking close
to all of the hardest classes that UW has to offer, with my grades most definitely being a
reflection of that. My sophomore year I was on the UW Womens Rowing Team where I
spent twenty hours a week working out with the same group of girls. It was something I
always felt really proud to say but found myself enjoying it more when I wasnt at
practice. My junior year was a stressed filled year trying to figure out what to do and
where to go next after being turned away from the CM program. But I think everything
happens for a reason, and I am truly grateful for all of the ups, downs, twists, turns that
led me to CEP and all of the incredible people Ive gotten to know.
Looking back at the person I was when I first started the program, I was pretty
quiet, reserved, and had the most difficult time raising my hand in class to ask a
question. Silly to think about it being so painful when I do it without a second thought
now. But I dont think I really realized how much I had changed until Alex Clark made a
comment about how much more assertive I am now, compared to when we met a year
and a half or so ago. After hearing that, I couldnt help but feel proud of how much Ive
pushed myself to step outside of my comfort zone. I remember one discussion in
particular we had in 460 about the extroverts and the introverts. Branden was explaining
how many extroverts who are naturally comfortable speaking in front of large groups are
able to take a nothingness of a thought and verbally walk through it until it makes sense.
I think being around so many of those people in CEP has really instilled in me that
people are interested in my ideas and what I have to say.
 Theres always that corny quote if your dreams dont scare you then theyre not
big enough but at the same time its also a little true. I started evaluating the next steps
in my life by how much they scare me and a few months ago I realized I didnt have a
single ounce of fear when thinking about graduating and starting my job at the company
Ive interned at for the past two summers. With this newfound confidence and desire to
step outside my comfort zone, I decided to ask for a transfer to LA, not ever having been
there. I could get there and feel at home immediately or I could find that its not the right
place for me, but at least I took a chance and tried something new.
Im incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be apart of the CEP program and for
all of the skills and lessons Ive learned and the wonderful friends Ive met. And if I ever
become rich off of my shipping container classrooms, I fully expect an email from Chris
Campbell asking for a large donation.