At MSOE, lessons are learned in and out of the classroom and getting an education is more than academics, it's learning life lessons. 

For example, six MSOE students traveled to a remote village in Guatemala to rebuild a bridge that had been washed away by heavy rains. The bridge was not just another bridge - this was the only bridge linking 33 families to school, hospitals and other necessities. 

"The need was identified by the residents," pointed out student Jill Stephany, who founded the campus group that worked with an engineer and advisor Dr. Doug Stahl, an associate professor in the Architectural Engineering and Building Construction Department. 

Since wooden bridges had washed away, the students came up with a solution: a box culvert bridge made of reinforced concrete. To fund the bridge and the trip, the students raised around $14,000.

While building the bridge was a great feat where they learned important project management skills and gained job-site experience, not to mention how to avoid snakes, the reward was immeasurable. 

"The cultural exchange is a big part of it - you're putting your engineering experience and knowledge into use and practicing your skills - but you're also getting a chance to travel to another part of the world and experience another culture ... and the friendships I made there are going to last," said team member Nate Theobald. 

MSOE is more than excellent academics; it's excellent people. Higher learning is more than advanced mathematics, chemistry, literature, business, biology and engineering. It's developing as a person.