Loma Rica native headed to Stanford for grad school
Jun. 3—Loma Rica native Jordan Beach has always had an interest in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) field. Not entirely sure where he wanted to go with it, he eventually landed on civil engineering.
"I've always loved math and science and engineering is kind of the coupling of math and science for the practical world," Beach said.
After Beach sat through a few lectures, he knew structural engineering was the direction he wanted to go.
"It seemed (like) the most challenging and the most rewarding," Beach said.
The 21-year-old graduated from California State University, Chico, at the end of May with a degree in civil engineering and had quite the four-year career at the college.
One of the highlights, he said, was helping to found an on-campus student organization at the college.
Beach and his friend, Noah Macias, started the process to form a student chapter under the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute in 2019. After Macias graduated that year, Beach wrapped up the process in 2020.
"The main thing the student chapter does is provide relationships and often network for the students that are part of the club at Chico State," Beach said. "...The most exciting part of EERI is the Seismic Design Competition, which we were able to go to in 2020."
He said the competition included chapters from around the world and the team built a balsa wood model and subjected it to a theoretical seismic scenario — the competition also included reports, presentations and more.
"It was a phenomenal experience," Beach said. "...Everybody staying after school working toward a unified goal, it brought us closer together."
He said they had the opportunity to meet people from around the world and network with professionals in the industry.
"California is a high seismic region as compared to the rest of the United States," Beach said. "Right there causes concern and importance for engineers."
He is set to attend Stanford University in the fall to pursue his masters degree in structural engineering. He also recently passed the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam, which the typical student doesn't take.
Beach said industry professionals usually take the exam five to 10 years into their careers.
"I had to study a lot," Beach said. "It was at the time that semester I was working a part-time job at (Haselton Baker Risk Group in Chico) and had a full academic load and was involved in clubs as well ... it was time consuming but worthwhile."
Throughout his time at Chico State, he has played a big role in several clubs, been part of his internship at Haselton Baker Risk Group, tutored other students and more.
Career-wise, he hopes to work for a firm that specializes in high-rise buildings and utilizes software to predict how seismic activity would affect structures.
"I really enjoy the challenge of the seismic engineering aspect for taller buildings," Beach said.
He encourages other students to get involved in clubs and extracurricular activities.
"The curriculum is great," Beach said. "But joining the clubs ... it cements the curriculum and you learn a lot more outside of that. It sets you apart so it's a huge advantage and a lot of fun."
