The College of Engineering’s student competition teams have record of success.
The College of Engineering’s student competition teams not only have a record of success; they put students in an applied setting to develop skills like leadership, teamwork and time management.
“It is my belief that students really need a full dose of activities outside the classroom where they can work together, because everyone ends up in a team later on in the workforce” said Jerry Boettcher ‘63, who has a long history of supporting student teams with endowed gifts through the KSU Foundation.
“Some of the student team needs aren’t all that expensive, but there’s no designated source of funds,” Boettcher said. “I suspect the dean’s office ends up taking it out of their budget, which means making a choice. With an endowed fund to call upon, those choices are easier.”
The college’s Quarter-Scale Tractor Team has enjoyed a top-three finish in its international competition 17 of the last 18 years, but students say that success is not the most valuable aspect of the team.
“As a leader, the most important lesson I learned is to step away and trust your team members to complete the tasks they’ve been assigned,” said Tyler Siebels, senior in agriculture and technology management and team president. “Specific skills I’ve developed over this past year include managerial, financial, accounting, fundraising and general people skills.”
Gifts to engineering student teams help drive momentum for the $1 billion Innovation and Inspiration Campaign to advance the goals of K-State 2025.
To support student competition teams, contact the engineering development office at engineering@found.ksu.edu.
