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Featured photo: Adjunct instructor Christopher Milan’s land surveying class learns how to use equipment. (Photo by Emily Gill)
By Emily Gill, Marketing & Communications Dept.
Blue Ridge Community College emphasizes hands-on learning to prepare students for in-demand careers that offer stability and fulfillment both locally and regionally. Construction and civil engineering have long been vital industries in Western North Carolina. However, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, rebuilding efforts have made them an even greater priority.
To meet local demand, Blue Ridge launched the new Civil Engineering Technology program during the Fall 2024 semester alongside another related program, Environmental Engineering Technology. Blue Ridge now offers one of the largest engineering education menus in the western part of the state.
Adjunct Instructor Christopher Milan teaches land surveying 1 and 2 at Blue Ridge. He also works as a professional land surveyor and teaches at Blue Ridge’s sister-institution A-B Tech.
“Students take Land Surveying 1 & 2 for the Civil Engineering associate’s degree,” Milan said. “Now the College is offering a certificate in geomatics – surveying – which coincides with those two classes. That means students will obtain a certificate and an associate degree at the end of their studies.”
Students also have the option to complete only the geomatics/surveying certificate, equipping them to join a survey crew after just one year of study.
“There’s a high demand, especially for surveyors,” Milan said. “Not many people know how to do this. Surveyors are everywhere: construction sites, highway projects. With any construction project, there’s a surveyor there before, during, and after.”
Amber Heatherly is part of the first cohort of the Civil Engineering program. She says civil engineering ultimately chose her.
“I wanted to go back to school to better myself and to be able to get higher paying jobs, so I was already looking into going back to school in a general sense when someone I know reached out about working in civil engineering because of my eye for detail,” Heatherly said. “Within four weeks I had a job, and a week later, I was accepted at Blue Ridge.”
“I’m learning it at work and at school at the same time, and I’m able to put the pieces together,” she added.
Heatherly credits the user-friendly program and outstanding faculty for her positive experience.
“Half of the classes are online, and half are in-person, so you can continue to work and get the degree,” Heatherly said. “The teachers have been fantastic. They were flexible through Helene, including getting me a laptop to Zoom in to in-person classes.”
Cameron Bumgarner, also a member of the first cohort of the Civil Engineering program, said he is mainly interested in surveying.
“When I was in the military, I was in a recon unit. So all of this stuff transfers over, so this would be like the civilian side of that,” Bumgarner said.
He’s enjoyed seeing the application of math and sciences to real-world projects.
“When I was in high school, I didn’t enjoy math very much. But now that I’m applying it to things that actually produce results, it’s pretty exciting stuff,” Bumgarner said.
The Civil Engineering program at Blue Ridge Community College is more than just a degree—it’s a gateway to a fulfilling and in-demand career. With hands-on learning, expert instructors, and flexible class options, students are equipped with the skills needed to thrive in a field that is essential to rebuilding and advancing communities.
Learn more about the program and other Blue Ridge engineering technology programs online at www.blueridge.edu/engineering.