SELF on the Road Blog - Day 2: Seattle

The second day of SOTR wasn’t unlike the first day in that we had the chance to meet and see unique things and people. We began the day with a sweet breakfast at the Starbucks Roastery and Reserve in the company of Jack and Nancy Rodgers. The Roastery engineer, Mark, discussed with us the processes accomplished in the Roastery followed by a tasting of Starbucks’ ‘Tanzania’ coffee brewed through siphoning. We were mesmerized by the design of the building which was inspired by different aspects of the coffee making process. Needless to say, we left the Roastery with wired brains and many souvenirs.
 

Our next stop was Amazon, where we were welcomed by many KU alumni. They led a discussion on their journey from KU to their careers now, the projects they work on, their day-to-day life, as well as any advice they had for us as we approach our senior year. They encouraged all disciplines to pursue careers in all sorts of companies and to strive for innovation.
 

The last company visit for the day was to Kiewit and their main project in Seattle- the SR 520 bridge, the longest floating bridge in the world spanning about 7500 feet. We were not only privileged to discuss the details of the design of the bridge and the involvement of the two engineers, David Segmen and Cody Bishop, but we got to walk the span of the bridge and experience the unique structure. Geared in hard hats, life jackets, glasses, gloves, and work boots, we trekked across the bridge in awe of the sheer mass of the structure.

We ended the night in the iconic attraction of Seattle-the Space Needle. We ate a fantastic dinner featuring local ingredients as we overlooked the city painted by the sunset. Without a doubt, everyone was inspired today in one way or another.