Serving With Honor

Driven by a passion for leadership and engineering, U.S. Army servicemember Evan Smith ('27) is pursuing dual degrees in Project Management and Engineering. With a foundation in computer-aided manufacturing and machining, Evan’s military career inspired a vision to lead engineering teams in the aerospace industry.

Smith explained, “What has led me to pursue a dual degree is the fact that, eventually, I want to lead teams of engineers in an engineering management role. So, the project management degree gives me the knowledge and exposure to the other variables, whether it be financial, ethical, etc., that I might face later on in my career. While the engineering degree gives me a really solid background and understanding of the key competencies that an engineer should possess.”

His experience as vice president of the Student Government Association (SGA) strengthened his abilities in decision-making, teamwork and communication. “Through the SGA, I have become more comfortable and confident in being able to articulate my opinions, views and ideas on certain issues or initiatives in a high-level manner. When it comes to decision making within the SGA, when we create initiatives, we have to look into our student body and see what they don't have and what we could potentially provide them. By doing that, I have become more confident in my ability to make a decision that will possibly have an impact on a huge number of people, in the case of Worldwide, roughly 30,000 students.” In SGA, Evan has helped increase his peers' success by founding an Engineering Student Council and assisting deans in finding new ways to recognize academic excellence.

Evan also shared that SGA made him more confident in his own capabilities as a student and a leader. “Prior to being at Embry‑Riddle, I had never been a part of any student organization. Now that I have been able to lead at one of the highest levels of student leadership successfully, I would argue, while still balancing work and striving for excellence in my academic endeavors, I have learned that my ceiling is a lot higher than I had previously thought.”

Evan credits the Worldwide Campus’ flexibility and supportive faculty for his success and involvement while balancing active-duty responsibilities with his education. After graduation, Evan plans to work as an engineer in the aerospace field in a manufacturing or testing role.