Wilberforce Student Luke Musgrave wins national civil engineering competition
When Luke Musgrave joined the college to study civil engineering, he didn’t expect to win a competition in the subject. But earlier this year, that’s exactly what he did—by taking part in a national STEM competition and winning first place, representing the college for the very first time.
“I’d never done anything like this before,” Luke admits. “But when my teacher, Milica, offered it to the class.” “I felt quite good when it was offered, that I could do something on my own.”
The competition, called CityZen, challenges students to think like professional civil engineers—designing infrastructure and solving real-world problems through a combination of teamwork, creativity, and strategic thinking. It ran over four weeks and consisted of four game-based challenges. One of the key tasks focused on bridge-building, asking students to explore how a bridge could either help or hinder a local community depending on its placement and design.
The competition focuses on developing key skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, communication, and the ability to apply STEM knowledge to practical situations. Luke mentions “You had to meet a budget and the person closest to that budget or spent the least, the better you scored.”
Although Luke didn’t find the challenge particularly difficult, he reflects on it positively and encourages others to take part. “I would recommend anyone who are wanting to do civil engineering as a course then they should go for it and try their hardest.”
We’re incredibly proud of Luke not just for his incredible achievement, but for stepping up, trying something new, and representing Wilberforce with confidence and creativity.
