This Engineers Week we are sharing the stories of our engineers who challenge the traditional mold, who faced obstacles, and who are inspiring the next generation of problem-solvers.
Today, meet Jennifer Smith-Morton, a transportation engineer at Mead & Hunt. Jennifer has reaped the rewards of student outreach, choosing to pursue her career after a week-long engineering summer camp in high school. Now, as a professional engineer, she is giving back by working with students of all ages and building the pipeline for more diverse voices in the industry.
Q: When did you become interested in engineering?
A: I liked math growing up, but didn’t enjoy science classes until my junior year of high school when I took physics. My physics teacher encouraged me to attend an engineering camp at the University of Oklahoma the summer before my senior year. I loved solving problems as a team and connecting with other students interested in engineering. After the camp, I decided to pursue civil engineering in college.
Q: What made you choose civil engineering specifically?
A: I enjoyed the hands-on, practical nature of civil engineering compared to other engineering disciplines. In the engineering camp, we did activities like building popsicle stick bridges and testing them on shake tables. I could see the real-world applications of concepts we were learning in physics class.
Q: What’s been your favorite part about being an engineer?
A: I really enjoy building relationships, using those connections to solve problems, and finding solutions together as a team. It’s very satisfying being able to listen to everyone’s perspectives and come up with creative solutions. I also appreciate that infrastructure improvements help society.
Q: Why are you passionate about outreach to students?
A: I didn’t know what engineering was until high school since no one in my family were engineers. I want students to learn about engineering careers earlier. For the past 10 years, I’ve done STEM outreach by volunteering with groups like Future City. I have also been the professional advisor for two university ASCE student chapters. It’s fulfilling to encourage students to consider engineering and support them as they enter the industry.
Q: Why do you think engineering is for everyone?
A: Engineers solve problems that impact communities, so we need diversity of backgrounds and mindsets. Different perspectives lead to more innovative solutions. I want more people to see that engineering is evolving and is not limited to stereotypes. To handle upcoming infrastructure needs, we also need to attract talent by showing how rewarding engineering careers can be!
Whether it’s providing clean water, building a road, generating green energy, or designing a building, engineers create a better world for all of us! Their job is to tackle big challenges with big solutions, and they do their best work when they can see problems from every point of view.
That’s why we believe engineering is for everyone, and we’re thankful for professionals like Jennifer who help students see the opportunities in engineering!
