Not many students have built three footbridges in their college career, but since his sophomore year, architectural engineering graduate Jay Arehart has worked to build and lead the CU Boulder chapter of Bridges to Prosperity (B2P). The student chapter has built hundreds of footbridges across the world to provide communities with safe access over dangerous rivers to healthcare, education and markets.
Arehart, who is also a former chapter president, has recently won B2P's Bridge Builder of the Year award.
This award is given to one university student every year, chosen from universities across the country, who shows exemplary leadership and serves as a driving force behind a high-quality bridge project. The Bridge Builder of the Year is someone who empowers their peers by example and inspires everyone on the job site.
Arehart deserves this award in every sense. He has taken CU's team to the next level, leading the way on projects in Bolivia and Swaziland, spearheading fundraising campaigns earning over $50,000 and inspiring and mentoring dozens of CU Boulder students.
Arehart said, "Being a part of CU B2P has been the most rewarding part of my college experience. Working with Bridges to Prosperity has inspired me to broaden my perspective of the impact I can make in the world. I have been profoundly inspired by the bridges I have helped to construct—by both my fellow team members as well as community members."
