Read below to learn more about Rebekah, who joins Schaefer as a structural engineer.

1. Most prized possession/what you couldn’t live without (outside of family and friends)?

I’ve made a decent amount of my own clothing so if I’m going with what would be the hardest to replace, that’s probably it.

2. Meet my family.

I am the third of six kids. My oldest sister + her husband are both chemical engineers. They have three kids that are so energetic and so much fun. My second older sister works in immigration law. One of my younger brothers is studying biochemistry + his wife is way cooler than him. My other brother, after a few years of trying a little bit of everything, is studying civil engineering now. My youngest sister just started college this past fall so my parents are empty nesters now.

3. What made you laugh the hardest in your entire life?

I don’t know what the hardest I’ve laughed was, but my friends are pretty funny. Jackbox game nights often result in random weird answers that cause fits of laughter.

4. What is the most extreme thing you have ever done?

Extreme is such a strong word. I prefer to call it “effective problem solving” but I’ve been informed that it was not in fact the first solution that comes to mind for most people:
In college, my building was being renovated with new floors in the apartments + the stairs were being redone so all of us were temporarily moved over to an adjacent building for a few weeks. However, one of my roommates left something in our apartment on the second floor that she needed for some reason, but the stairs were non-existent. Fortunately, there was a balcony right over the package box. To me, this seemed like an easy ascent from the ground onto the package box and then pull yourself up to the balcony ledge and then over the railing. So I climbed up to the second story of my apartment building to get what my roommate needed and then climbed back down the same way. I made that trip a few times while the stairs were being redone.

5. If you weren’t in structural engineering, what would you be?

I have no idea. I’ve known that I wanted to be a structural engineer since I was 14, and even before that I was pretty sure I wanted to be some sort of engineer.

6. What’s on your bucket list?

I want to visit all 50 states. I only have Alaska, Hawaii + Rhode Island left.

7. Quote to live by.

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring.

8. Fun fact about yourself.

I’ve been doing some sort of dance or acrobatics since before I was 2 years old. I’ve done ballet, acro, gymnastics, color guard, ballroom/Latin (American and International styles), and now aerial silks/hammock/hoop.

9. What is a skill that you don’t have, but wish you did?

I wish I could remember people’s names after just meeting them.

10. What would you sing at karaoke?

If I could get a big enough group to commit to it, “One Day More” from Les Miserable. But I only need to make it happen once. It would be iconic.