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For Ian Wahl, a sophomore studying systems engineering at the Cullen College of Engineering, few events are more relaxing than a crawfish boil on a spring afternoon.

“The event brings out the best in people, setting up the best possible conditions for making genuine connections,” he said.

Some of his professional success is now due to how those connections can so easily flourish, as Wahl used the relaxed atmosphere of the 2024 UH Energy Industry Crawfish Boil to land his first internship. While serving as the incoming fundraising lead for the UH chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB), he made connected with professionals from Chart Industries.

“For most of the day, the other members held down our table — it was quite windy — and represented us to students and wandering professionals, while I made my rounds speaking with as many professionals at their tables as possible,” he said.

“One tent I stopped by was Chart’s, where I spoke with a rotational engineer, Harold, for 10 to 20 minutes before two other members joined me. Then, I started a conversation with Hannah, who’s in HR for Chart.”

These initial contacts led Wahl to following up after the event, after encouragement from his peers.

“A few days later, Roy Castillo, the rising president of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers UH chapter, helped me write an email to Harold, following up on the internship opportunities and joint events we had discussed,” Wahl said. “Harold put in a good word and passed my resume to Hannah, who gave me an interview before passing me to a second technical interview, and then my first internship.”

When looking at his college options, Wahl said UH offered a rounded education that aligned with his interests while still being close enough to his home in Austin.

“I chose UH because of the systems engineering program and the incredibly assuring and wise presence of Dr. Nate Wiggins and the previous president of IISE Abdulrahman Aljahmi,” he said. “They helped me decide on UH rather than a complicated plan involving both LSU and UTD for a systems engineering degree. Additionally, UH’s #1 rank in entrepreneurship had a firm grip on me, as I aspire to start my own business one day.”

Family has been an important factor for Wahl’s academic development.

“The largest positive influences on my academic success are my parents, as both of them had to work incredibly hard to get their educations,” he said. “They instilled in me that education is both a privilege and a necessity. Other large influences include the incredibly kind people in the IISE as well as Read Boles, a professor of entrepreneurship who used his prolific career to teach me the value of ‘being scrappy’ and connecting with people.”

The 2025 UH Energy Industry Crawfish Boil is Sunday, March 30 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Lynn Eusan Park on the UH Campus. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here!