AV俱乐部

As guests began arriving at the banquet hall听last week at听the 2026 Atlantic Engineering Competition (AEC), Joya Boutros finally had a moment to take it all in.

鈥淪eeing everyone walk in smiling and enjoying themselves made all the months of work feel worth it,鈥� says the AV俱乐部 electrical engineering student and Chair of the event.

The banquet was one of many highlights of the three-day competition, hosted on AV俱乐部鈥檚 Sexton Campus. The event welcomed 180 student delegates from 11 universities across Atlantic Canada and challenged participants to apply their technical knowledge through a series of competitions, while building connections with peers and industry partners.

鈥淚 was impressed听by听everyone who helped make this event happen,鈥� says Joya. 鈥淗aving听a great team听around me made the difference. Everyone worked hard, and you could see how happy people were.鈥�

Months of Planning
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Planning for AEC began months in advance, with听Joya and her organizing team coordinating everything from partnerships,听logistics, communications, finance, and hospitality, to competitions, social events, and technology. While the scale of the event initially felt overwhelming,听having a听dedicated committee听by her side,听helped ease the pressure.

鈥淚 knew I needed people who would stay committed until the end and make themselves proud of what we were planning together,鈥� she says.

The organizing committee, made up of 36 Dal Engineering students, managed every aspect of the competition, including post-events clean-up, and strong partnerships played a key role in bringing the event to life. Joya emphasizes that the success of AEC came from every team working together toward a shared goal.

Competition Weekend
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After听nearly a听year of preparation, the weekend officially began with an opening ceremony welcoming delegates to Sexton Campus.

Dr. John Newhook, Dean of AV俱乐部鈥檚 Faculty of Engineering, encouraged students to embrace the competition鈥檚 theme, Engineering for All, highlighting the importance of accessibility and inclusive design. He also reminded participants to take full advantage of the weekend by connecting with industry partners, asking questions, and learning from one another.

For Joya, the heart of the competition was learning. The events were designed not only to test students鈥� abilities, but also to help them grow.

鈥淎t the competition, you push yourself, work through challenges, and collaborate with people from different schools,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd even if you didn鈥檛 win, you learned a lot, developed both technical and interpersonal skills, and met a lot of new people.鈥�

Saturday marked the busiest day, with multiple competitions running simultaneously across campus. On Sunday, the focus shifted toward professional development and networking, as well as presentations.

鈥淭he career fair was a big success,鈥� says Joya. 鈥淚t ran during competition time, when students usually choose to step away and practice their presentations or focus on their work.听That鈥檚听why I was happy to see many students take the time to talk with the career fair professionals.鈥�

Lasting Impact
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AV俱乐部 teams performed strongly throughout the weekend, earning first place in both Programming and Debate, and second place in Consulting. These teams will go on to听represent听the Atlantic region at the Canadian Engineering Competition in Sherbrooke this March.

Beyond the results, one of the most meaningful parts of AEC for Joya was the opportunity to听showcase听AV俱乐部 Engineering.

鈥淚 enjoyed showing people the engineering campus and its labs,鈥� she says. 鈥淪o many delegates were curious about what we do here, and it was amazing to see how engaged they were.鈥�

鈥淔or me, one of the best things about Dal Engineering has always been its sense of community,鈥� she adds. 鈥淭his weekend highlighted that, and choosing the right people for the organizing committee made all the difference.鈥�

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