By Sherry DiBari
When Paige Laning, a civil engineering major, planned her induction into the Order of the Engineer, she had an idea to share it with the person who had influenced her the most – her mother.
Jennifer Laning, a 32-year civil engineer, didn’t have the opportunity to join when she graduated with her bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University in 1992 and her master’s in structural engineering from Drexel University in 1998.
During the ceremony, engineering graduates take an oath pledging to uphold ethical standards and apply their engineering knowledge to serve and benefit society. As a reminder of this commitment, participants receive a stainless-steel ring, often worn on the pinky finger of their working hand.
“I had many moments in school where I didn’t think I was good enough, and my mom was always there,” Laning said. “I’d call her at 11 p.m., crying over an assignment and she would help me push through it.”
“Being inducted together is something I’ll never forget,” she said.
Laning, who grew up in New Jersey and Delaware, spent much of her time in Girl Scouts and volunteering behind the scenes in community theatre.
As a Brownie, she made the by earning all of the 58 Brownie Try-It patches. In Girl Scouts, she earned the Silver and Gold Awards, the highest awards possible.
“The Girl Scouts taught me responsibility and leadership, and theatre taught me how to work with my hands,” she said.
Jennifer Laning raised Paige and her brother while working full-time as a civil engineer.
At home, the day-to-day engineering talk made it to the kitchen table.
“She would come home and talk to us about bridges and explain things she did that day, so it was easy for me to get excited about what engineers did,” Laning said.
In middle school, Laning joined the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) , a mentoring program for students interested in transportation careers. She has been an active member ever since.
In high school, she decided to formally study engineering.
“I realized it was engineering – mainly because of my mom’s influence,” Laning said.
She focused on transportation engineering, in part, because of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Infrastructure . The survey evaluates the state of American infrastructure, including aviation, bridges, roads, water systems and transit. In the past few years, roads and bridges have scored Cs and Ds.
“I knew as a kid that I wanted to do something that would help,” Laning said. “Through engineering, I’ve found a way where I can help make infrastructure safe and reliable.”
Laning chose 91Ƭ for its reputation.
“My main driving factor was that I wanted people to know the reputation and name of the school,” she explained.
At 91Ƭ, she also found a strong support system in Shahin Nayyeri Amiri, a senior lecturer in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
“There were many times when I struggled,” she said. “I think a lot of civil engineering students hit a point where they wonder, ‘Am I even good enough for this?’ But he was always there to help me understand the material.”
“He always had an open door, even if I didn't have a class with him that semester,” Laning added.
Amiri, in turn, appreciates Laning’s perseverance.
“Paige Laning is a dedicated and hardworking student with an exceptional work ethic,” he said. “She consistently demonstrates a passion for learning and a commitment to excellence, making her a standout in any academic setting."
Beyond academics, Paige enjoys reading, crocheting, knitting, writing and playing Dungeons and Dragons.
She has also gained extensive experience through internships with firms like HDR, Collins Engineers, and Pennoni, learning about bridge inspections, bridge design, roadway design and marine structure design. As a traffic operations intern at the City of Virginia Beach, she collected traffic data and made it publicly accessible.
After graduation, her current internship at CST Engineering in Maryland will transition into a full-time role as a traffic engineer. She will be responsible for intersection design, ADA sidewalk compliance and signal light design. “It's mainly redesigning things that are currently there,” she explained.
Looking ahead, Laning plans to join the local WTS chapter and hopes to inspire the next generation of engineers.
“I was lucky to have a strong female engineering influence in my life,” she said. “I want to be that strong female engineering influence for others that my mom was for me.”