Cultivating Connections: Kimley-Horn’s Commitment to Mentoring the Next Generation

At Kimley-Horn, we are dedicated to recruiting, mentoring, and developing the next generation of professionals and leaders within the industry. To do so, we continually interact and connect with college students across the nation through a variety of outreach, academic, and recruiting initiatives.

Kimley-Horn Hits the Road

This winter, Kimley-Horn employees went on tour visiting college campuses across the country, where they hosted booths at internship and job fairs, meet and greet events, showcases, and career expos—connecting with thousands of students and providing them with information about opportunities at Kimley-Horn.

Classroom Connections: Virginia Tech

In addition to recruiting events, our employees connect with students directly in the classroom. Chris Howell, P.E., Randy Royal, P.E., and Heather Timothy, P.E., are using their design skills and professional experience to help teach the Advanced Land Development Design course at Virginia Tech—a part of the university’s Land Development Design Industry (LDDI) program.

Embodying the Virginia Tech motto, “Ut Prosim” (That I May Serve), Chris, Randy, and Heather are teaching three classes throughout the Spring 2024 semester, covering topics such as due diligence, site layouts, and entitlement processes.

Classroom Connections: University of Georgia

Charlie Johnson, PLA, and Eric Shade, PLA, LEED AP, landscape architecture graduates from the University of Georgia, have remained connected with UGA’s College of Environment and Design (CED).

The two recently returned to their alma mater to participate in a portfolio review with CED students. Charlie and Eric partnered with UGA’s Professor Jessica Fernandez and other industry professionals to review students’ portfolios and resumes, conduct mock interviews, and provide students with career advice and mentorship.

Throughout the event, Charlie and Eric utilized their design expertise to provide professional feedback on several portfolios and connected with students to help them practice speaking about their work experience through staged interviews.

Community Connections: The Heart of Los Angeles

Our employees are also committed to serving students from underrepresented communities. In December, Shushoma Sravostee, EIT, a civil analyst in our Los Angeles office, was the keynote speaker at the 2024 Heart of Los Angeles’ (HOLA) Winter Reunion. A non-profit college preparatory program, HOLA seeks to “help young people overcome barriers through exceptional, free, integrated programs and personalized guidance in a trusted, nurturing environment.”

During the 2024 annual Winter Reunion, 140 HOLA alumni—now college students—returned to participate in professional development workshops, interview preparation, presentations, and a career fair. All these opportunities were focused on giving the alumni tools to help them excel as first-generation college students.

Shushoma was asked to be the event’s keynote speaker because of her involvement with HOLA over the past 11 years. She spoke on the reunion’s topic, “Build Your Future, Build Yourself,” focusing on the importance of networking to building a professional presence in the industry.

Community Connections: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

Our teammates actively participate with the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and demonstrate their commitment in various ways. Some employees had the privilege of attending the 2023 SHPE National Conference last November, while others contribute and connect with SHPE student chapters nationwide.

Recently, Adam Kalson and Edwin Santos, P.E., represented Kimley-Horn at the University of Florida’s (UF) SHPE BBQ with Industry event, where they spoke with students about opportunities at Kimley-Horn, provided them with career advice, and gave them insight into the design and consulting industries.

Kimley-Horn is a corporate sponsor of the UF SHPE chapter, and our employees consistently attend UF SHPE events throughout each semester.

Our Commitment to Building the Next Generation

Kimley-Horn is committed to empowering tomorrow’s emerging professionals, and we are excited to continue supporting our employees’ active engagement and outreach efforts.

Interested in joining Kimley-Horn to make an impact? Learn more about our career opportunities here.