| |  | Rami Asfahani learned early in his career not to shy away from a challenge. With only one year of experience, he helped design the single-tube, S-curved approach span for the 41st Street Pedestrian Bridge, a beautiful challenge that became his favorite project and taught him a lot about finite element analysis. Thirteen years into his career, Rami says he would do it all over again: say yes to projects, step into challenges even when you know nothing, and learn by asking the right questions. He encourages young engineers to let go of the pressure to make every task perfect: “Expect comments. Expect to mess up.” Put your best work forward, ask for help when you need it, and recognize that no one expects you to know everything. Rami knows something about persistence, too. During COVID, he decided staying home was the perfect opportunity to tackle the SE exam, but the exam apparently had other plans! After multiple attempts, he ultimately passed all four exams in one year while raising two kids, which he considers his greatest accomplishment. Maybe, as Rami jokes, the chaos at home made the exam room feel cozy! Today, he serves as Vice Chair of SEAOI’s Bridge Symposium Committee and sums up why he stays involved pretty simply: “Great people, great events, awesome community.”
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