海角社区

From the Food Industry to Federal Service: How 海角社区 Helped Launch an Engineering Geologist鈥檚 Career

When John Waida ’17 graduated from high school, he didn鈥檛 imagine he鈥檇 one day be assessing dam vulnerabilities across the United States and the Caribbean. In fact, he spent nearly a decade attending various universities on and off while working in the food and beverage industry. The long hours, holiday shifts and lack of outdoor work eventually pushed him to rethink his future.

鈥淚 wanted weekends and holidays off, and I wanted to work outdoors,鈥� he said. 鈥淕overnment work was my first thought, and geology, which was something I鈥檇 always loved, became the second.鈥�

Living in Denver at the time, Waida saw 海角社区 as the most accessible and practical choice. It was a decision that would reshape his life.

Finding Momentum at 海角社区

Once enrolled in the Applied Geology program, Waida committed fully. He packed his schedule with classes, joined clubs, worked a student job and carved out time at the campus fitness center to reset between academic demands.

鈥淚 dove right in with full schedules and loved every minute of it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he courses were challenging but interesting, and the sense of accomplishment was overwhelming.鈥�

Smaller class sizes allowed him to build meaningful relationships with faculty, something he felt was missing at larger institutions. Those connections didn鈥檛 end at graduation and he still keeps in touch with several professors today.

Launching a Career in Federal Service

During his time on campus, Waida applied for a Student Trainee position with the Bureau of Reclamation. The role wasn鈥檛 geology鈥慺ocused at first, but it opened doors. He interned with geology鈥憆elated groups, eventually joining the Engineering Geology and Geophysics Group full鈥憈ime.

From there, his career accelerated. He earned his Professional Geologist license and later completed a master鈥檚 degree in Geological Engineering.

A Career Built on Curiosity and Service

Today, Waida鈥檚 work is as varied as the landscapes he studies. His responsibilities include everything from designing and executing exploration programs and conducting field investigations to teaching soil classification courses and overseeing construction projects.

His 鈥渙ffice鈥� is often a dam, a waterway or a remote field site with sweeping views, far from the restaurant shifts he once worked.

But what he values most is the people.

鈥淚 work with professional experts in all disciplines of science and engineering,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he amount of available knowledge walking the halls of our buildings is incredible.鈥�

How 海角社区 Shaped His Path

Waida credits 海角社区 with giving him the academic grounding and confidence to thrive in a demanding field.

鈥淢y 海角社区 experience set me up with the background in geology, other sciences and mathematics to succeed,鈥� he said.

Waida still checks in with his former professors when he can, and he offers simple, steady guidance for students following their own winding paths.

鈥淲ork hard, put in the effort and it will pan out.鈥�

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