2OnBeingYourOwnEngineerTheoccasionforthisshorttalkwastheCivilEngineeringstudentsAnnualAwardsConvocationattheuniversityofIllinoisonApril24,1976.Parents,friends,andwivesorhusbandsofthehonorstudentshadbeeninvitedtotheConvocation．Itooktheoccasiontospeaktothewivesorhusbandsaswellastothestudentswhoreceivedthehonors．RalphB．Peck（1983）HereatthisUniversityandinthisDepartmentthathastrainedsomanyoutstandingcivilengineers，youhaveachievedastandardofexcellencethatresultsinyourrecognitionatthisHonorsDayceremony．Itgivesmethegreatestpleasuretocongratulateyouontheseachievements．Hereinyourundergraduatecareer．youhavebecomeleadersinthepursuitofengineeringknowledge，thefirstessentialstepinbecomingacivilengineer．Excellenceinundergraduatestudiescorrelateshighlywithasuccessfulengineeringcareerinlateryears．Isincerelyhopethatthesatisfactionofasuccessfulcareercontinuestobeyoursandthatthesehonorsandrecognitionsthatyousorightfullyreceivetodaywillbeonlythefirstofmanysatisfactionsthatwillcometoyouinyourpracticeofcivilengineering．Yetasuccessfulundergraduatecareerisnotalwaysorinevitablyfollowedbyleadershipinyourprofession．Inachangingworld，inadynamicprofessionsuchascivilengineering，howcanyoubesuretodaythatyouwillbeamongtheleadersofyourprofession20or30yearsfromnow？Howcanyouevenbesuretopickthebranchofcivilengineering，theparticularkindofworkthatyouwillactuallylikethebestorhavethemostaptitudefor？Doyoudareleavethesematterstochance，doyoudareletnaturesimplytakeitscourse？Nobodycanpredictthefutureandnobodycanguaranteesuccessinthefuture．Butthereare，nevertheless，manypositivethingsyoucandotoshapeyourowncareer．Ishouldliketothinkaboutsomeofthesewithyoutoday．Ibelieveeveryengineer，perhapsevenwhileanundergraduatebutcertainlyupongraduation，needstoformandfollowhisownplanforthedevelopmentofhisprofessionalcareer．Perhapsitisanunpleasantthought,butbelieveitisonlyrealisticthatnobodyelseisquiteasinterestedinyourcareerasyouyourselfshouldbe．Ifyoudon’tplanityourself，itisquitepossiblethatnobodywill．Ont