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As Co-Chair of the 2025 Canadian Engineering Competition (CEC), third-year Dalhousie Industrial Engineering student Ali Brennan was blown away by the experience of hosting one of Canada’s most prestigious engineering competitions.

“I was walking around the halls that weekend, and I must have looked so crazy,” she laughs. “I was smiling so much because everyone on our organizing committee had taken so much ownership and initiative over their different roles and tasks.”

(Photo by CEC 2025 Organizing Committee)

Alongside her co-chair, third-year Electrical Engineering student Carter McNiel, Brennan led a team of 41 Dalhousie engineering undergraduates in organizing the 2025 CEC. This marked the first time in 32 years that Dalhousie Engineering had the honor of hosting the event.

The CEC brings together 200 of Canada’s top undergraduate engineering students for a weekend of solving complex, real-world challenges. Participants test their skills across eight different categories, tackling everything from hands-on design challenges to consulting cases and debates. However, to compete at the CEC, students must first win regional competitions such as the Atlantic Engineering Competition (AEC), Ontario Engineering Competition (OEC), Quebec Engineering Competition (QEC), or Western Engineering Competition (WEC).

While the conference provides an incredible opportunity for young engineering students to showcase their skills on a national stage, for Brennan and McNeil, organizing this event was about more than just competing—it was about creating opportunities.

A Transformative Experience for Students

(Photo by CEC 2025 Organizing Committee)

“The experience was incredible. Like, genuinely,” says Brennan, beaming as she looks back on the weekend. “The most rewarding part was watching regular students go from attending their classes and doing their work to becoming leaders, making changes that impact others. It’s been amazing to see their growth.”

When the call went out last spring for engineering students to join Dal’s CEC organizing committee, Brennan says she and McNeil were flooded with applications.

“Joining our organizing committee gave students a unique leadership opportunity,” she explains. “While Carter and I served as chairs, we also had VPs and directors who played key roles. Despite the different responsibilities, every student made an impact, not just on those in Halifax, but on students from across the country.”

For many students, this was their first leadership experience. Undergraduates from first-year to senior students across all disciplines took on various roles and responsibilities, gaining skills in leadership, teamwork, event planning, and problem-solving. It also gave them the chance to improve their communication, time management, and networking abilities.

While Brennan admits she was initially nervous about taking on the role of Co-Chair, she never expected the event to have such a transformative impact on everyone’s academic journey.

“One of our Directors posted about her experience on her Instagram account. She specifically experienced a lot of growth throughout this event,” says Brennan. “She was very involved in high school but then came to Dal and wasn’t involved with extracurriculars. She joined this event and did a 180. Now she’s interested in so many other things. I told her, ‘You’re the success story here.’”

“That’s what makes this experience so special,” she adds. “It showed us all how much we’re capable of, and how many opportunities we have as Dal Engineering students.”

Opening Doors for the Future

For Brennan and McNeil, the experience has opened new doors. Brennan is set to take on the role of senior advisor at next year’s Atlantic Engineering Competition.

(Photo by CEC 2025 Organizing Committee)

“Two of my directors bid on the conference, and now Dal will be hosting. I’m so proud of them,” she says.

She’ll also step into the role of VP Outreach for the Dalhousie Engineering Undergraduate Society (DUES), a position she plans to shape based on her experience at CEC.

(Photo by CEC 2025 Organizing Committee)

“During CEC, I noticed how eager many companies were to engage directly with students. It made me realize that not enough students fully appreciate the benefits of connecting with the professional engineering community,” she says. “One of the roles in DUES, VP of Outreach, didn’t fully reflect this need, so I discussed it with the President, and we ended up reworking the role to focus more on building connections with the professional community.”

As for McNeil, he says, “this was my first year at Dalhousie and being part of CEC has opened so many opportunities for me and helped me make so many connections here on campus. So many of my friends now are people that I met through the conference and I'm forever grateful for that experience and for meeting those people. And for the experience itself, it was truly like no other and like nothing I could have experience in a classroom.”