Civil Engineering November 2022 | Vol 30 No 10

52 November 2022 Civil Engineering Student Chapter of the Year (Sponsored by PPS for Professionals) | Commendation: University of Johannesburg Doornfontein Chapter Members of the University of Johannesburg Doornfontein Chapter accepted the award. Most Supportive Advertiser of the Year: Reinforced Earth Diane Griffiths (middle left) and Mitzi Quesnel (middle right) accepted the award on behalf of Reinforced Earth. Most Supportive Advertiser of the Year Runner-up: Sizabantu Piping Systems Michael Wilson (middle) accepted the award on behalf of Sizabantu South Africa Piping Systems. Erin Da Silva’s acceptance speech for Graduate Engineer of the Year was not presented at the awards ceremony and is therefore included here: I was once told that civil engineers are the custodians of civilisa- tion, and that has stuck with me and guided me in my career – understanding that the work we undertake as engineers enables us to steward humanity, which highlights the importance of our work. Being recognised by an institution such as SAICE is a truly humbling experience. The expertise of the members is recognised globally and is an inspiration. These members have guided me to become the engineer I am, and I’d like to thank all those that have touched my career, either through project work, review, guidance or conversation. A special thank you to Prof. Gerhard Heymann who inspired me back in university, Jarendra Reddy who showed me a different perspective of the work we do, Friedrich Slabbert who has developed me technically, Pieter Onderwater whose infectious passion for people, transport and the environment has elevated my career, my fiancé Daniel who has been my number one supporter and has consistently pushed me to continue to strive for excellence, and my family for making this all possible. I recognised early on that I could make a difference in this industry and have actively pursued this. I have often been recog- nised as a “big picture” person; one that needs to understand the role of the project in the wider ecosystem. Through the project work I have been involved in I have always strived to identify and bolster the sustainability of the solution. This award is for all the young professionals out there. May we continue to shape the future we need and continue to steward society. As our SAICE coat of arms says: Fortiter Conde Animo Forti – Build strongly with a resolute mind.