Feature Stories 2018: Marvey Mathurin '18: Corsairs football & civil engineering

Marvey Mathurin ’18 is graduating in May with a major in civil engineering and a varied set of experiences—from Corsairs football to internships—that have prepared him for success in his career and in life. 

A curiosity for how things work 

Growing up, I was always curious as to how things were put together and how things worked in unison. When the time came to choose my major, civil engineering suited my math and science interests most. 

Civil engineering was a difficult major at first, and I struggled to find exactly where I fit. It was not until after I took all my core classes that I discovered which branches I truly enjoyed: geotechnical engineering, water resources, and transportation. 

Success as a student-athlete

As a member of the Corsairs football team, I struggled as a student-athlete to schedule my school work around practice, team lifts, and football games. Some weeks were challenging, but I learned to plan my days in advance. I realized it isn’t so much the planning, but the follow-through, that makes the difference.

For my academic excellence, I was awarded membership into the Hampshire Honor Society. Now, as an upperclassman, I advise the freshmen engineers on the football team on how important it is to manage their time properly and to focus on school.  

Internships: hands-on experience  

I was able to gain real-world experience in my major through internships at Field Engineering and Windover Construction.  

At Field Engineering, I worked on engineering plans using AutoCAD and HydroCAD systems, helped to design and edit engineering plans, calculated watershed runoffs, and analyzed soil types. I learned how to conduct engineering surveys and analyzed elevations. 

This experience helped me to better understand the concepts I learned in the classroom and to apply more knowledge to the skills I acquired. 

At Windover Construction, I worked as an assistant superintendent in the construction of a five-story, 90-resident apartment complex in Beverly, MA—overseeing everything onsite under the supervisor of the Superintendent and working with contractors. I learned the Bluebeam program for design and construction, participated in conference meetings, and analyzed plans.  

Both internships have molded me, given me experience within my major, and provided me with resourceful, knowledgeable mentors. 

I’d also like to thank Dan Dermody and Brian Ego of the football program who were a tremendous help in identifying these internships.   

Real-world research   

For my senior design project, four of my classmates and I conducted research to assist Dartmouth's Department of Public Works (DPW) in the reconstruction and design of Milton Street. 

We learned a great deal about the street details and regulations through the guidance, recommendations, and expert opinions given by members of the DPW. 

My advance traffic research involved working on the redesign and necessities of the entrance of UMassD campus roadways. 

Next step: career in engineering 

I plan on working in the field immediately after graduation. Both companies I interned for have expressed their interest in hiring me after college, and I hope to be working with one of them after graduation. 

Growing up, I was always curious as to how things were put together and how things worked in unison.