Carnegie Mellon University

Andrew Thompson - Class of 2022 - at party holding a slice of pizza

CEE Spotlight: Andrew Thompson

By CEE DEI Committee

CEE junior Andrew Thompson he strives to promote a warm and welcoming environment everywhere he goes. As a board member of CMU’s student American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) chapter, he often points other students to the right resources and provides support in whatever form needed.

Andrew’s impact on the people around him doesn’t stop with his peers either. A self-proclaimed (very) consistent patron of Rohr Commons in the Tepper Quad, Andrew built a relationship with the staff there after seeing them every day. In recognition of his enduring loyalty, the staff at Rohr Commons named a wrap after him, The Andrew Thompson wrap, (which included jalapeno, chicken, mozzarella cheese, bacon, spinach, and yum yum sauce!).

Andrew believed that such an act of kindness could only be reciprocated by another act of kindness, and so he baked a cake for the staff at Rohr Commons to show his appreciation for their hard work and for treating him like not just a customer but as a friend. These actions offer one more example of how Andrew’s friendliness and thoughtfulness are making Carnegie Mellon a stronger and closer-knit community every day.

While some academic communities in the past have made Andrew feel unwelcome, today he knows that he belongs at Carnegie Mellon and he trusts himself to finish his degree and become a successful engineer. For those who follow in his footsteps, Andrew shares an important lesson his experiences have taught him: “People can only give you validation, but confidence comes from within.”

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This story demonstrates CMU's work toward attaining Sustainable Development Goal 10 of the 17 Global Goals to create a more equitable and viable planet by 2030.