Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram
UWA engineering technology major turns lessons from the field into a future in construction
For Owen Vander Wal, the past year has blurred the line between football and the job site. Being coachable on the field, he鈥檚 found, translates directly to the workplace鈥攁 lesson he鈥檒l put to the test this summer.
Building on the experience he gained during last summer鈥檚 internship at Smurfit Westrock folding carton plant in Eutaw, Vander Wal decided to pursue a new challenge in civil construction engineering. He鈥檒l get that opportunity in June through a postgraduate internship with Brasfield & Gorrie, based in Birmingham.
His internship with Brasfield & Gorrie is guaranteed for at least six months and is designed to help determine where he fits best within the company, particularly as he continues building his construction experience.
Engineering Technology students do plenty of hands-on work, but for Vander Wal, seeing projects move from paper to reality was eye-opening.
鈥淲e do a lot of AutoCAD work at UWA,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut when I saw how that was used at Westrock鈥擨 saw the real-world connection for the first time.鈥�
That opportunity is a long way from where he started just a few years ago. Although football brought him from Fairhope to Livingston, Vander Wal said he nearly transferred after his freshman year. Looking back, he鈥檚 glad he stayed.
鈥淚 know everyone says, 鈥楾here鈥檚 something about this place,鈥欌�� he said, 鈥渁nd it really has been true for me.鈥�
That sense of connection has carried over into the classroom.
For his senior capstone project, Vander Wal and fellow seniors Sabino Galvan, Alexis Davis, and Kasey Coleman found another way to apply their skills: converting a mountain bike into an e-bike.
鈥淲e started talking about how far the Engineering Technology building is from the rest of campus, especially the Math & Science building,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd we wanted to find a better way for students to get back and forth. We thought an e-bike would be a cool solution.鈥�
The group laid the foundation for future teams to build on. Once they mapped out the process, they purchased key components, including a wheel hub and battery, then began testing the bike鈥檚 viability. The project drew on skills from across the program, including mechanical and electrical work as well as project management.
鈥淲e were able to get from the ET building to the Math and Science building in three minutes,鈥� Vander Wal said. 鈥淚f a student walked, it would take the full 15 minutes between classes, and they鈥檇 be late. I think it would be great if the Division could start converting bikes for students, maybe for a small fee. It鈥檚 something that could be explored in the future.鈥�
That same drive to apply what he鈥檚 learned has also led to recognition in the classroom. At the Division鈥檚 recent Honors Day, Vander Wal received three honors, including Pro-Certified Scholar, 2026 University Scholar for Engineering Technology, and induction into the Epsilon Beta Chapter of Epsilon Pi Tau International Honor Society for Professions in Technology.
As his time at UWA winds down and he prepares to receive his diploma on May 8, Vander Wal is focused on carrying those lessons into the next phase of his career.
鈥淏eing coachable and trainable are two sides of the same coin,鈥� he said. 鈥淏rasfield & Gorrie is taking a chance on me, even without a deep construction background, because I鈥檓 willing to listen, learn, and put in the work. I鈥檓 hoping that mindset helps turn this internship into a full-time job by next fall.鈥�