When Edgardo Perez-Cosme was growing up, he
dreamed of being a Soldier or policeman. However,
after winning second place in his high school's
regional math fair, a career in engineering sparked his interest.
Coincidentally, the judge reviewing his winning project was
an engineer from the Corps.
Perez-Cosme now serves as a project engineer with the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District's Corpus
Christi Resident Office, where he manages various construction
projects.
"I am the project engineer for the Armed Forces Reserve
Center in Sinton, Texas," said Perez-Cosme. "I also assist as
a project engineer for both the Kingsville and Corpus Christi
Border Patrol Stations where I complete field site visits, revise
submittals and negotiate change orders."
Perez-Cosme says he loves construction, specifically being
able to see beautiful buildings constructed where there was
nothing, which was one of the main things that attracted him
to choose civil engineering as his career.
"In middle school, I developed a passion for construction,
and my first dream was in the architecture field," said Perez-
Cosme. "In high school, I saw that my potential -- always exploring
and wanting to know how things worked -- was more
suited for engineering."
Perez-Cosme has worked with the Corps for four years,
recently completing a full year with the Galveston District. He
previously worked in the Baltimore District as an intern from
May 2007 to May 2008.
He is a member of the National Guard, which makes his
work with the new reserve centers special, as he feels the
facilities constructed provide the opportunity for the nation's
Armed Forces to excel and allows for the same level of readiness
as his active duty counterparts.
"I started in military construction, so the civil works area
is a new environment for me," said Perez-Cosme. "I like that
I am doing something not only for our Soldiers, but also for
all of us. Working in a district that handles a lot of civil works
projects has let me see the 'other side' of the Corps."
Perez-Cosme attended the Corps' Hispanic Engineers
Conference and had the opportunity to interact with the Chief
of Engineers Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp. According to
Perez-Cosme, listening to the chief speak and having the opportunity
to interact with him one-on-one has been his most
memorable experience with the Corps thus far.
Perez-Cosme earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil
engineering from the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez
Campus in 2000. He also earned a master's degree in engineering
and construction management from the Polytechnic
University of Puerto Rico in 2002.
He is certified in Maryland as a stormwater management
design reviewer and has completed the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration 30-hour certification.
In his spare time, Perez-Cosme enjoys scale model building,
going to the movies, driving and visiting historic places.
He is engaged to Laura Chapa and has one son, Gustavo.
"I am proud to work in such a diverse district," said Perez-
Cosme. "Working in different districts has allowed me to see
the diverse environments the Corps has and I hope to be a
great asset to the district and expect to keep learning."
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