Engineering a Future With Purpose

For Roxanne Ehrig, the classroom and the track may seem like two different worlds, but each has taught her something about the other.

The discipline required to balance structural engineering coursework with cross country and track & field has helped Ehrig develop a routine that allows her to succeed in both.

Now entering her senior year, the Structural Engineering major in Muir College is taking those lessons beyond UC San Diego through professional experience, service and a growing vision for her future.

Her path to structural engineering began in high school, where an AP Environmental Science course sparked her interest in finding ways to make a positive impact on the world.

Ehrig initially planned to pursue environmental engineering, drawn to sustainability and finding ways to address climate change. After discovering that UC San Diego did not offer an environmental engineering major, she explored related fields and found structural engineering offered the flexibility she was looking for.

“I felt like I could do much more with structural engineering and still focus on environmental aspects of it,” Ehrig said.

That combination of purpose and problem-solving has continued to guide her throughout her time at UC San Diego.

Engineering With a Purpose

Ehrig's experience in structural engineering has extended well beyond the classroom.

During her sophomore year, she joined a UC San Diego engineering organization and participated in a service trip to Tijuana, Mexico. During the one-day experience, Ehrig and other students worked together to build two homes for families in need.

The experience changed the way she viewed the impact of engineering.

At the end of the day, Ehrig and the other students met the families who would move into the homes, giving her a firsthand look at how the work they had done could directly affect someone's life.

“It really changed my perspective on the impact you can actually have,” Ehrig said.

For Ehrig, the experience provided a tangible connection between what she was learning and the people who could ultimately benefit from it.

Her professors have also played an important role in her development.

Ehrig has appreciated having professors who understand both the demands of engineering and the experience of being a scholar-athlete. She specifically pointed to one professor involved with the structural engineering department and athletics, as well as another professor who competed in track in high school.

Having mentors who understand both sides of her life has helped Ehrig navigate the demands of a rigorous major while competing as a scholar-athlete.

Finding Balance

Balancing cross country and track & field with structural engineering coursework has not always been easy.

Like many scholar-athletes, Ehrig had to learn how to manage her time and find a routine that worked for her.

Over time, however, she discovered that athletics actually helped her academically.

Ehrig views physical activity as a way to reset her mind before returning to her schoolwork. Rather than feeling like another responsibility competing for her time, training provides structure and helps her transition into study mode.

“Being able to work out gets me in the mindset to study later on,” she said. “It's really nice to get outside because it helps me with my work schedule.”

Her approach to balancing the two has evolved throughout her college career. What initially felt overwhelming has become a routine she has learned to manage through experience and prioritization.

“It just takes some time to figure out what works for you,” Ehrig said. “Eventually, it works out if you stick with it and prioritize what you need to focus on first.”

Learning in the Real World

Ehrig's classroom experiences took another step forward this past summer when she earned an internship with WSP, a global engineering firm.

Working as a structural and civil engineering intern for the company's transmission engineering team, Ehrig worked on projects involving overhead transmission lines for utility companies primarily in California and Nevada.

The internship introduced her to a new area of engineering and gave her the opportunity to gain experience with industry-specific software.

Her internship began with an intensive training period focused on PLS-CADD and PLS Tower, software used specifically for transmission line projects.

The six-week training course gave Ehrig the opportunity to learn the software from the ground up before applying those skills to real projects.

With guidance from a mentor and other engineers, she eventually began working on projects and modeling tower structures.

One of the most interesting aspects of the experience was seeing how individual components came together to create the larger structures.

“Seeing how steel was incorporated into these lattice towers and how everything was put together was really interesting,” Ehrig said.

The internship also demonstrated the importance of building relationships and being willing to make connections.

Ehrig first met representatives from WSP at a structural engineering career fair hosted by UC San Diego. She also connected with someone associated with a former cross-country teammate, ultimately reaching out through a cold email and using those connections as references during the application process.

After two interviews, Ehrig earned the opportunity to join the company.

Opening New Doors

The internship has also influenced how Ehrig views her future.

While she remains interested in sustainability and environmental engineering, her experience in transmission engineering has opened her eyes to other possibilities.

The design-focused nature of her internship has particularly sparked her interest in potentially pursuing a career as a design engineer.

“I think being a design engineer would be a great door for me to look into,” Ehrig said.

She has not settled on one specific career path yet, and she is comfortable allowing her experiences to continue shaping her direction.

Ehrig would be open to returning to WSP after graduation, seeing the opportunity as a chance to continue building experience while exploring where her interests may ultimately lead.

For Ehrig, the common thread is simple: she wants her work to have an impact.

Looking Toward a Master's

As Ehrig enters her senior year, she is already preparing for her next academic challenge.

She was recently accepted into UC San Diego's MSBS program and will begin her master's studies during the first week of the academic year.

At the same time, she is looking forward to a new undergraduate course that could influence the direction of her graduate studies: earthquake engineering.

The course will provide Ehrig with a different application of the math-heavy concepts she has encountered throughout her structural engineering coursework, while potentially helping shape the focus of her master's program.

Currently, structural analysis and earthquake engineering are among the areas that interest her, while she is leaning toward civil structures for her graduate focus.

Her interests have already evolved during her time at UC San Diego, shifting from geotechnical structures toward civil structures as she has gained more experience and learned about the different possibilities within the field.

Learning From Those Who Came Before

One of the most valuable aspects of Ehrig's internship was seeing where other UC San Diego structural engineering graduates have gone.

Several of the engineers at WSP graduated from UC San Diego with the same major as Ehrig.

Seeing their careers firsthand has given her a better understanding of the possibilities ahead and provided her with mentors who can offer advice based on experiences similar to her own.

“It's nice to see where they're at after graduating from the same school and doing the same things I did,” Ehrig said.

Their advice has helped her think more intentionally about her own career decisions while also showing her what is possible after graduation.

For a student still determining exactly where she wants her engineering career to take her, those examples have provided a valuable perspective.

More Than a Triton

On the course, Roxanne Ehrig is a cross country and track & field scholar-athlete.

In the classroom, she is a Structural Engineering major preparing for a career in a field where she hopes to combine technical problem-solving with her passion for sustainability.

Beyond UC San Diego, she is gaining real-world experience and discovering new possibilities through internships, service and connections with professionals in her field.

Each experience has helped her better understand what she wants from her future.

Her time in Tijuana showed her the tangible impact engineering can have on communities. Her professors have demonstrated that it is possible to balance athletics with a demanding engineering career. Her internship has introduced her to new areas of the industry and expanded her vision for what comes next.

And now, as she begins her senior season and master's program, Ehrig is continuing to explore.

She may not know exactly which path she will take after graduation, but she knows what she wants that path to accomplish.

“I'd still like to work in sustainability or environmental engineering, but this industry has opened my eyes to other opportunities,” Ehrig said.

For Roxanne Ehrig, the future is still taking shape.

And just like the structures she hopes to design, she is building it one piece at a time.

Fuel the Future of Triton Athletics
Support scholar-athletes like Roxanne Ehrig by donating to the Triton Athletic Fund or the sport of your choice. Visit TritonAthleticFund.com for more information.

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Ginny Fronk, Women's Soccer: Standing Tall Between the Posts
Tate Meaux, Men's Cross Country/Track & Field: Running Toward a Greater Purpose
Maija Nepsy, Women's Volleyball: Setting the Foundation for a Future in Medicine

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.