Barrett Church,EI, Joins the Structural Department
Barrett Church, EI, joins the LFA Structural Department after graduating from Valparaiso University December of 2024. Church was able to graduate college in three and a half years due to dual credit in high school and high marks on his AP exams, giving him an edge on college credits. He has just recently passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, making him a licensed Engineering Intern.
He said he considered majoring in physical therapy but after one Anatomy and Physiology class, he knew memorization wasn’t the best way for him to learn. Turning to engineering as a college freshman was the logical choice. When he started college, Church said he wasn’t sure what the differences were between engineering disciplines but quickly learned that civil engineering held the most interest for him, and, within that, structural engineering specifically.
“When I was a little kid, I was fascinated every time my family went to Chicago, and I got to see all those bridges and high rises. I always thought that was super cool,” he said.
Church currently lives with family in Chesterton, IN, where his dad is a carpenter, and his mom is a teacher. He chose Valparaiso University due to its reputation in engineering and its proximity, but mostly it was VU’s size that drew him.
“I liked the small feel. I didn’t want to get lost in a crowd of students like at Purdue,” he said, noting that his college professors were always available for help.
This methodology is what propelled him to Lawson-Fisher Associates for his first career step as well.
“The small feel at LFA is great. You get an individualized relationship with your mentor,” he said. “At a big company, you could get lost in the works a little bit.”
Church said he’s most looking forward to working on LFA’s many bridge projects and structural renovations or inspections.
In his free time, Church is an avid lifter, making the Chesterton YMCA his home where you might find him joining a pickup basketball game as well on any given day. He enjoys playing card games with his family and supporting his Canadian-born dad’s favorite team, The Toronto Raptors.