It can be hard to feel the immediate impact of one’s work in a world where so much has become virtual. But for Eevie Silvia ‘24, currently a sophomore at Hofstra University, the bridge of connection and impact has been literal.

Eevie, an engineering major and drama minor, spent the summer after freshman year in the tiny landlocked country of Eswatini in Africa, with Hofstra’s chapter of the non-profit Engineers in Action (EIA). The group’s goal was to help build a pedestrian bridge for a remote village. Eevie describes the experience as “eye-opening.” She came to it with a baseline understanding of a future career in engineering, and walked away realizing jobs don’t have to be corporate or removed: “You can go out into the world…and have a really deep impact on people’s lives. I am very happy this is the path I took.” 

The location was so remote that Eswatini’s own director of public works had no idea it existed. Eevie chokes up remembering how the father of their host family announced that he would “add to the number of children I have” in the future, to account for Eevie and the other engineers who spent the summer under his roof.

“When you get there,” Eevie adds, “the first thing you realize is that people are the same everywhere,” despite different living conditions or infrastructure. It’s this human touch that she hopes to bring to future engineering projects: “You get to multiply that effect and help others.”

As to those from CH-CH who helped build Eevie’s bridge to this moment, she recalls Karen Sokolow as “someone I could look up to, a member of the LGBTQ+ community who loves math!” Sokolow’s AP Calculus course was the “opening gate” for Eevie, and the start of everything that came after. 

Whether opening gates or building bridges, Eevie is up to great things, juggling the course load at Hofstra with theatre auditions and stage managing a show Off Broadway. And of course, planning for the next overseas adventure, now that she’s helped launch Hofstra’s official branch of EIA.

With such a tangible impact of their work in real time, we can’t wait to see what’s next for Eevie!

If you know of a young alum who is still in college but already making a significant impact, please send us a message!