The power of human connection secured team “Shear Madness” first place at the 2025 ASCE Construction Institute Student Days competition.
Team captain Ashley Forkey, a rising senior at Tufts University, said their win resulted from each member’s willingness to learn about each other on a personal level.
The CI Student Days competition is unique in that each team is composed of members from different schools who meet each other for the first time when the event begins.
Eight teams compete each year. The “Windy City Civils” and “Hammer Time” teams came in second and third, respectively.
As head of Shear Madness, Forkey knew it was just as important for members to understand each other’s backgrounds, strengths, and weaknesses as it was to dive into the project.
“That was where it started. We also spent time with one another outside of just the prescheduled activities, so I think that made working together a lot easier,” she said.
CI Student Days challenges teams to develop a written and oral real-world construction project proposal that considers the full scope of relevant conditions, including local laws and regulations and the impact on traffic, surrounding residential and commercial areas, and shareholders.
The challenge is designed to simulate the process of a general contractor responding to a request for proposals. It involves multiple disciplines, such as civil, foundations, concrete, steel erection, and more.
It also serves as a way for students to network with industry leaders, recruiters, and young professionals to strengthen the connection between academia and the construction industry.
CI’s young professionals are previous CI Student Days participants who are only a few years ahead of student competitors. Forkey said working with them “was an amazing experience.”
The young professionals provided robust support during the bid package development process, during which they “showed strong attention to detail and were eager to understand the technical and logistical aspects of how a comprehensive bid comes together,” said Forkey.
“Their questions were helpful to challenge us to clarify assumptions and communicate more clearly,” she added.
Forkey was also impressed by their thoughtful attitude during the project site visit.
“Seeing how enthusiastic the young professionals were about engaging with the community helped us consider the social impact of each decision that we made throughout the entire project,” she said.
On a more personal level, working alongside the young professionals made Forkey excited to take on a mentor role in the future.
“I want to be able to communicate my excitement about civil engineering in the same way that they have for me,” she said.
Forkey based her competition strategy on open discussions of team members’ specialties and work styles. Before delegating tasks, she considered how each member works under pressure and their experience with different aspects of civil engineering. But the initial separation of tasks didn’t stop the team from embracing a collaborative spirit.
“It was extremely collaborative. I don't think the role delineation was even accurate because we all contributed so much to each other's parts,” she said. “And whenever we worked – even if we were silent – we were always together.”
Members were eager to help each other when someone had a question or difficulty. Even with the tight timeframe of the competition, everyone was willing to take on more work when needed to create a successful product.
“Whenever people got confused or were a little bit stuck or a little bit behind, somebody else always jumped in to take on that responsibility,” said Forkey, who emphasized the positive team dynamic.
“We had early mornings, late nights, but it was very worth it when we heard our name called,” she said.
