By Cecilia Ramirez

Stephen Greiling has a lot to be proud of.

Already a recipient of several academic honors (including: the National Society of Collegiate Scholars; Dean's List; Theodore F. Constance C. Constant Dominion Scholarship; Honors College; and Order of Omega), the Chesapeake, Va., native has also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering with a GPA of 3.87, earning him the distinct academic recognition of Summa Cum Laude. In addition, Greiling is an active member of the university community.

Greiling serves as a student representative on the Old Dominion University Board of Visitors and is also a member of the ODU Homecoming Royal Monarch, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and the recipient of the REP ODU Unsung hero and Evon-Broderick awards.

A graduate of Grassfield High School in Chesapeake, Va., Greiling was a recipient of the Medal of Distinction in the Governor's STEM Academy. It was there that he was introduced to engineering and architecture, engineering design and aerospace engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y.

While both Greiling's parents are in education, he says that his introduction to engineering began, "when my two brothers got me involved in First Lego Leagues (FLLs). Later I became interested in architecture and building designs."

"When I decided to attend ODU in 2016," Greiling said, "I initially was looking for an architecture academic, but I switched to civil engineering. During my freshman year, I was involved in the engineering learning community that provided to me the opportunity to explore engineering and English composition simultaneously."

Greiling said that two of his first-year teachers, Randy Haddock and Kim Sibson, encouraged him in his pursuit of engineering, encourageing him to become involved on campus in a leadership role. He joined the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and the Student Government Association in his first semester.

"My role as the student representative to the Board of Visitors was a great networking opportunity and [allowed] me to meet important stakeholders like state legislators, CEOs, and other community leaders," Greiling said. "Being involved on campus grew my interest in higher education. I became interested in teaching or working with engineering students as a career. Kim Sibson became a mentor for me as I considered this career option, and I could not ask for a better person to support me."