In May, I will be graduating from the University of Wyoming with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. I've had a great four years in Laramie with friends and memories I'll never forget. However, it's time for me to move on. Before I head out into the 'real world,' I've decided to apply my construction skills and newfound engineering knowledge to help people who need it most. After reaching out to several international organizations that perform volunteer engineering opportunities, I was lucky enough to hear back that a member of an Engineer's in Action Bridge Program trip had just dropped out and desperately needed a new member: It seemed like it was meant to be. 
La Paz, Bolivia
After I graduate on May 18th, I fly down to La Paz, Bolivia on May 22nd until mid July. From there it's buses, 4wd, and walking to get to the town of Charanzani on the 26th. An hour away is the village of Siatha, where we will be working. A river separates the village from the town and in order for people in the village to get their crops to market, medicine and other food from the town, and kids to get to their school, they must cross this river. During the dry season it isn't as dangerous to wade through, but during the rainy season it's very dangerous and villagers must travel to a vehicle bridge several miles away. The group of students I'm with, along with two practicing engineers, have designed a footbridge to span the river and allow the river to be safely crossed near Siatha at all times of the year. Villages can get their crops to market much faster, giving them more time with their families and kids can get to school without fear of being swept away in the river or having to walk several extra miles. 
Charanzani, Bolivia
I've helped my dad in construction for the past 7 years (It's been longer than that, that's just when he started to actually pay me). Together we've built everything from custom homes to passive solar greenhouses, true timber frame barns to small vehicle bridges. I've always loved seeing how much something I helped build can help other people for the rest of their lives. That's part of why I'm getting a degree in civil engineering. Building this bridge in Siatha, Bolivia will not just help these people, but could actually change the way they live their lives. 
We'll be building this bridge from the ground up side by side with craftsmen and laborers from Charanzani and Siatha, all without the modern conveniences of power tools or any kind of heavy equipment. Despite this, bridges are still expensive to build, and the villages are too poor to be able to afford a project like this. As a result, EIA requires every member to pay $2500 to the project in order to pay for the expenses of building the bridge itself. This helps to cover the cost of materials, transportation of materials to the site, organizing building contracts and paying all the fees associated with building, getting us from La Paz to Siatha as well as housing and feeding us while working just to name some of the big ones. 
In addition to the $2500 required by EIA to pay for the bridge itself, I need to fundraise an additional $1100 round trip flight to get myself safely to and from the US and Bolivia. This comes to a minimum of $3600 that I need to fundraise for this trip. I'm covering travel insurance, necessary immunizations and vaccinations, visas, food and housing while traveling, and OSHA safety training out of my own pocket. While waiting until I've had a steady job for a year or two would mean I could pay for this trip just fine on my own, I don't know if another opportunity like this one would come up and if I would be able to take it; almost two months of vacation is a lot of time to most employers, even if it is for a good cause. This is the best time of my life to do something like this, so I'm trying to take full advantage to give back to the world after I've been lucky enough to live the life I have so far. 
This means I need your help to make this trip happen. $3600 is a lot of money to a college kid, especially from one who hates to ask for money instead of earning it. Several of you are probably considering graduation gifts, and if you are I encourage you to donate instead of a gift. Others may remember a similar life-changing trip they had in their life and donate because of that experience. While some of the money I'm fundraising will go to flights, the majority is going straight towards bettering the lives of those less fortunate than us here in the US. Even a small amount will go a long ways towards truly changing the lives of everyone who lives in Siatha, something that can't be said about most investments. 
Whether you contribute or not, I ask you to keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I go on this trip. I also would like to thank you for contribution to my life so far, one way or another you've helped get me where I am today and I'm grateful for it. 
If you're on the fence about it, count how many times you cross a bridge in the coming week. For each one, imagine having to cross that obstacle if the nearest bridge was several miles away and you didn't have a car. That's all the people have Siatha have ever known, but I have a chance to change that just as you do.
