Like most engineers, Nash Benton’s story begins at a young age.
“In elementary school, I would build sand cities instead of sandcastles. I also have had an interest in science fiction and future technologies starting from that time, so later on I realized that I could combine these ideas into a successful career in civil engineering.”
CELEBRATING SUCCESS: UToledo recognizes the Class of 2023 with a series of stories featuring students receiving their degrees at spring commencement.
However, Benton discovered there were a few hurdles to reaching his goal. Coming from the small town of Atwater, his school system really didn’t have the ability to support an engineering prep program and he also didn’t have a significant number of financial resources at the time, so the cost of tuition and other expenses became a leading criterion for his college decision-making process.
“So, when the opportunity came along to attend a university with a great engineering program that built-in paid co-ops, I thought that was the best way to go for me.”
Time management was another learning curve for Benton when he came to UToledo.
“When I first got to college, I had a long list of things that I wanted to do, just like in high school. However, reality set in as I realized that it wasn’t a wise use of my time to spread out so much, so I had to learn how to prioritize. Another lesson that I had to learn was how to navigate through social dynamics and how to read people. Being in a larger city, I think that UToledo definitely helped me refine this skill.”
Benton arrived at UToledo in fall 2018 where he participated in the UT Rocket Marching Band in the 2018 and 2019 seasons as a trumpet player. From there he decided to focus on his career and pursue leadership in that area, so he joined the student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), where he later became president. He also was active in the University of Toledo Engineering Council, the Structural Engineers Association of Ohio (SEAoO) and Tau Beta Pi fraternity.
“UToledo’s help came in the form of affording me many different leadership opportunities to grow as an exemplary student and as a pioneer among my peers,” Benton said. “Chief among these was the change to completely rebuild the honor society, Chi Epsilon, through the pandemic.”
Benton
When describing who most impacted his journey at UToledo, Benton said, “That honor goes to Dr. Brian Randolph, Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering.
“He spent a lot of time and effort helping me to reestablish Chi Epsilon, the civil and environmental engineering honor society. Not only did he do that, but it was on his own time because he was retired when I took over the presidency. I don’t think that I would have been able to save the group through the pandemic for the next generation if it wasn’t for him, and I am quite grateful for it.”
Dr. Randolph said, “Although he was already heavily committed as president of the student chapter of ASCE, Nash stepped up to lead Chi Epsilon at a very critical time. He and a core team of officers were very dedicated and creative in transitioning the organization to weather the pandemic. It’s now an even stronger honor society thanks to his dedicated leadership.”
Benton finished his fourth co-op rotation in Berlin as an engineering and business development intern with Neurospace GmbH. He said he enjoyed the experience of living and working in another culture in a large, metropolitan city.
“The city of Berlin is still recovering from its split with the German Democratic Republic scars, but there is a lot of construction happening that is going to modernize and unite the entire city. The Germans themselves are generally quiet, courteous and respectful and have been very nice. My co-op is going well, and they are happy with my performance.”
As Benton wrapped up his time as a Rocket, he offered this reflection: “UToledo really helped me mature into the young professional that I am today, who is more capable of implementing the grand dreams that I created all of those years ago.”
