Successfully juggling responsibilities can be difficult as a student. The commitment can be challenging, but the rewards are worth it. On this episode of The Study Break, hear how civil engineering senior Logan Welsh balances his obligations in engineering and the Corps of Cadets.
Successfully juggling responsibilities can be difficult as a student. The commitment can be challenging, but the rewards are worth it. On this episode of The Study Break, hear how civil engineering senior Logan Welsh balances his obligations in engineering and the Corps of Cadets.
Have you ever wondered what it's like to be in the Corps of Cadets while studying engineering? Today we're joined by Logan Welsh, a rising senior civil engineering major with a focus on water resources and a minor in project management. Take it away Logan, what's your role in the Corps of Cadets?
Logan Welsh:So, my name is Logan Welsh. I'm Class of '22. And I'm a civil engineering major from San Antonio, Texas with a focus in water resources and a minor in project management. So, in the Corps cadets, I actually serve as the artillery band Sergeant Major, which means I'm responsible for the daily activities and operations for half of the Aggie Band, about 170 students. And that's basically my role within the Corps. As far as involvement within the Corps, I'm involved with the Ross Volunteer Company, I'm on staff for the Intentional Leadership Conference that goes on every year, and, then, of course, the Aggie Band. A lot of involvement there.
Ritika Bhattacharjee:So, for those who may not know, or may not be familiar with the Ross Volunteer Company, could you tell us a little bit more about that?
Logan Welsh:So, the Ross Volunteer Company serves as the honor guard for the Governor of Texas. And, basically, they are overall a service organization. At any moment, there are calls put out to the organization, either by the governor or university officials, and they are looking for volunteers to come serve at events - whether it's with big donors, or there's some ceremony that needs to happen, funerals as well. And they're basically on call to help out with those types of official events, as well as service events within the community.
Ritika Bhattacharjee:Additionally, would you mind describing your experiences on the Aggie Band and what that's been like as well?
Logan Welsh:The Aggie Band has been one of the greatest privileges to be a part of here at the university. You know, you don't get an experience like that anywhere else. You know, this university cares so much about the band, they do so much for us, to empower us to be at so many different events. And it's just a great thing to go out there and have fun.
Ritika Bhattacharjee:Awesome, thank you so much for sharing. Looking at being part of the Corps and in a really demanding discipline, like engineering, what has that been like for you balancing it all, timewise? And the extracurriculars that you're a part of?
Logan Welsh:So that's definitely been my biggest challenge of college. And, you know, it's something that is very difficult - the time management with being involved with so many things. But, you know, there's nothing I'd rather be doing, in terms of taking advantage of every opportunity I can at this university. There are so many things that you can say yes to and receive so much growth from, if you're willing to give it your all. And so, although it's been a deep challenge, with time management and stuff, I feel like there are things that I've gained from both being a cadet and being an engineer, that have kind of helped me in the other field, as well. So, it's kind of... They've been working kind of in tandem.
Ritika Bhattacharjee:What are some of those projects where you've received that growth, or you've seen how, excuse me, you've seen how these two skills interact?
Logan Welsh:So when I think about the engineering realm, I think about a field where you are given a problem and you've got to find a fit solution to it. You know, we can think about building a bridge. If I've got to build a bridge across a gap in a river, you've got to analyze that current situation, you've got to find a specific fit for that, you know, you can't just... It's not like throwing spaghetti at a wall and seeing if it sticks, that sort of deal. You've got to find a direct and intentional solution for that. And I've brought that into the Corps of Cadets in terms of developing people around me and developing organizations.
Ritika Bhattacharjee:And I know we've had many conversations on occasion about leadership and about how we can make impacts in the societies in the space around us. What's one way that you found impactful in what you've been doing in the Corps?
Logan Welsh:So I'd say one of the biggest things that the Corps has taught me in terms of leadership, is that you will not find true success until you learn to invest in the success of others. I think that is something that I have learned about in the Corps greatly. And that goes with developing others all the time, as well as developing yourself. But, you know, that transfers perfectly into the... into the professional realm, as well. You know, when I go into a company, I know that I'm going to be well equipped to not only take care of my technical job, thanks to my engineering experience with the College of Engineering, but I'll also be able to actually develop my company and help move the whole organization forward by focusing not just on my own little cubicle, but also understanding the big picture things and making sure that I'm working well with team members
Ritika Bhattacharjee:Within the Corps, what's one of your most memorable stories or something that happened that you remember to so fondly?
Logan Welsh:So my favorite memory was culmination day, sophomore year, when when we got to see our fish become fully fledged members of the Corps of Cadets. We had spent so much time that semester investing in them. And, you know, I think that's really what it was all about: Was seeing them succeed past what they thought they could. And, so that culmination day was the... was literally the culmination of all their hard work that semester and seeing them reach beyond wherever they thought they could go was just an incredible experience. And it's something that I would have never traded.
Ritika Bhattacharjee:A question I have for you. What is your story?
Logan Welsh:I joined the Corps of Cadets because I was looking for an experience to help me change who I was, in a sense. Not fully who I was as a person. But in the sense of, you know, throughout high school, personally, I was having more and more trouble each year keeping up grades. My grades were getting worse each year high school and I knew that I needed to find a change, because I needed to figure out how to really study and set my mind to something.
Ritika Bhattacharjee:That's awesome. Last question, before we go ahead and wrap up, where do you see yourself after graduation? Do you have specific plans that the Corps will help you with? Or is it going into the work force as a civilian?
Logan Welsh:So, I'm actually not contracted. I'll be going into the professional world. As far as where, I'm actually currently in a pivot. One of the... One of the greatest things that Corps has done for me personally is, it's gotten me to this point where I've realized my true drivers, my true motivations, and that is with people. In my experience with developing others here in the Corps of Cadets and developing teams and organizations, I've really come to understand my passion for investing myself in the success of others. And, so, I'll be looking for an outlet to do that. Right now, I'm looking into the company Consulting Realm. But, also, I'm looking into global service. I'm looking for some sort of way to tie in my helping and developing others with a civil engineering degree, and maybe going out to maybe a third world country or something and helping them develop infrastructure, helping them develop energy development plans. But, you know, you'll find people here that... That can go any direction. We have a huge diversity of where people are trying to go with their goals. And they just use the Corps of Cadets as a platform to help prepare themselves to reach those goals.
Drew DeHaven:And that's a wrap on our first episode of the season. Thank you so much, Logan, for joining us today and sharing some of your experiences in leadership within the Corps of Cadets, and also some of those lessons you learned from the College of Engineering. We wish you the best of luck as you begin to develop your career. Thank you for all of our listeners who tuned in today, we want to send a warm welcome back and a reminder to tune in all the great content that we have planned for this next season. We're really excited about it. Thank you, everybody. And Gig'em.
Hannah Conrad:Thanks for listening to the Texas A&M Engineering SoundBytes podcast. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Texas A&M University System. SoundBytes is part of the Texas A&M Podcast Network. To find more official Texas A&M podcasts, go to podcast tamu.edu