Civil Engineering Student Aims to Build Success

Toriahna Thomas (’26) is a Civil Engineering student entering her junior year at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Drawn to her degree program by the desire to challenge herself and make an impact on people’s lives, Thomas has found her place at Embry-Riddle through on-campus involvement and a dedication to continue growing in her field.

On-Campus Involvement

Thomas is a member of a variety of organizations, including the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the Black Students Association (BSA) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

In NSBE, Thomas serves on the executive board as secretary.

“I'm the person who's responsible for communication. I'm the head of the communication zone, so I work with our public relations officer and Faith Lee, our communications marketing person,” she shared. “I work with them to help with communicating, getting our club out there and making sure our members are getting the right information.”

Recently, Thomas also became the secretary for the BSA, where many of her responsibilities align with the work she does in NSBE.

In the ASCE, Thomas was recently able to attend a student symposium where teams from different schools came together to collaborate, compete and connect.

Thomas cites her favorite part of staying involved as the ability to experience new places and meet new people.

“We had to go to a conference for NSBE in Atlanta, and I think that was my first time in Atlanta for more than a couple hours, not just for traveling. It was really interesting, and I got to meet people from other schools,” she remembered. “Same with the symposium- we went to Jacksonville, and I got to catch up with someone I knew from high school on top of meeting people from other schools. I like that it allows me to get outside of my scope and get to meet people and see new things."

Construction Company Internship

At the NSBE conference in Atlanta, Thomas landed an internship with Turner Construction.

Thomas and a friend approached Turner and were immediately offered the opportunity to interview with the company. Nervous, but excited, Thomas interviewed with Turner on the spot.

After waiting for a few weeks and then having a follow-up interview, Thomas learned that she’d landed the position as a field intern. Turner gave her the option of choosing which office location — of the many offices spanning the United States — she wanted to work from. She chose Philadelphia, where her family lived before moving to Florida.

“For my project, we're doing two floors for Penn Medicine. Turner's working on the whole building — but for my project specifically, we're doing two floors,” Thomas shared. “I'm really excited; every day is a new learning experience.”

Thomas also discussed the ability to utilize the knowledge and skills she learned in her coursework at Embry-Riddle throughout her internship.

“I get to apply things I actually did learn in class. I was kind of scared that a lot of the stuff that we were applying in class was not going to transfer over,” she said. “But I’ve been seeing a lot of familiar things and I'm about to finish up my internship.”

Goals at Embry-Riddle and Beyond

As Thomas returns to Embry-Riddle post-internship and embarks on her second year, she remembers that she has people in her corner, rooting for her success.

“Something that inspires me throughout school is my family. I really want to do something that impresses my family— that's not my main motivation, but that is a big part of it,” Thomas shared. “I like having stuff to talk about with my family too, to explain to them what the field is and what I do in my internship.”

Thomas’ aunt is also a civil engineer and is “ecstatic” when she hears about the work Thomas does at Embry-Riddle and in her internship.

“I think when I told her I was doing civil engineering, she was crying and I was just like, ‘oh my goodness,’” Thomas said with a smile.

As for her own plans for a career path, Thomas is looking inward as to what will bring fulfillment into her life.

“Career-wise, I don't really have a preference over what specific company I end up at. I just know I want to be somewhere like Turner, where they have a focus on their people and they give you a lot of opportunities to meet other people in your department,” she said. “I want to be somewhere where I know the company cares about me and where they have my best well-being in mind.”

Thomas’ personal goals align with her professional ones, revolving around building a life that you love.

“I just know I want to be in a place where I'm confident and I can sustain myself. So, whatever that is, whatever I'm doing, I just want to be happy and have a sense of personal success.”