KFW is proud to have two Engineers involved in the local ASCE Chapters. Jizella San Andres, EIT, is the Vice President of Programs for the ASCE Professional Chapter, and Courtney Sackett, EIT, is the Vice President of the ASCE Younger Members Chapter.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is an organization 150,000 strong which promotes high standards for creating and maintaining a sustainable built environment while protecting and restoring the natural spaces we want and need. ASCE sets the bar high for professional development, continuing education, and networking opportunities in its individual chapters. It gives Engineers a chance to be involved in their profession and in their local design community. ASCE creates a space that forgets competition and highlights career development with relationship building. The ASCE Younger Members Chapter aims to foster the growth of its members both personally and professionally with the hopes of transitioning members to being active Professional Chapter members as their careers advance.  The Younger Member Chapter provides free educational technical sessions which cover the entire spectrum of the civil engineering field. This sub-chapter benefits the engineering community and its young engineers by promoting innovation, exceptional engineering practices, and lifelong learning. The Younger Members Chapter also provides monthly social events for green engineers to network with fellow design professionals getting started in the San Antonio community.

Jizella, EIT, is going on her 4^th year in ASCE. At first, she was a student officer for the UTSA Student Chapter. As a student, she volunteered for E-Week where she was introduced to ASCE professional chapter board members. She built a foundation of trust with them and was pulled up by her peers to be a Student Liaison between the student and professional chapters post-grad. She then went on to be Secretary of the Professional Chapter in her second year in ASCE. The following year, Jizella moved to the Vice President of Membership board position which she admits was,

“intimidating at first but I had plenty of resources to help me because of the relationships I had built just by being involved.”

Jizella is now the Vice President of Programs which includes coordinating chapter meetings and annual events. She also helps organize speakers and influencers to educate the San Antonio members for the year. She keeps her relationship tight with the UTSA Student Chapter so they can rely on her when they need help appropriating funds or getting speakers for their chapter’s needs.

Courtney, EIT, was recently elected as Vice President of the Younger Members Chapter in November. She was exposed to ASCE at Texas A&M University and was involved in other Civil Engineering organizations, but wanted to continue her involvement within the design community as she transitioned from college to the workforce.

“Jizella mentioned the officer nominations to me for the Younger Members Board. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to really jump in headfirst and make an impact on the San Antonio Chapter.”

With being on the Younger Members Board, Courtney has the opportunity to make connections with a variety of local Civil Engineering professionals. She expects this position to teach her organization, leadership among her peers, and communication skills by fostering her involvement within the professional community. We are excited to see Courtney in this new position and look forward to her impact on this upcoming generation of Civil Engineers.

Courtney and Jizella lead by example and show the positive impact toward professional growth that volunteer work and commitment to education can have. Both of our interviewees noted that being involved in ASCE is instrumental to true success in this teeming profession.

“It sets you apart from the crowd when good work is the expectation.” - Jizella

Being on the Board of a professional organization gives our Engineers a chance to have other responsibilities outside of work. It flexes muscles that others seldom use, keeping a well-rounded employee’s skills strong. KFW benefits from these employee's involvement in ASCE by seeing their skills sharpen as they take on greater responsibilities and is able to be a part of engaging professionals to share their wealth of knowledge with others.

ASCE has been very helpful in creating an identity outside of work for our design community and engaging design professionals in a unique setting. Active participation in ASCE sharpens the skills of its members to create a competitive workforce in the San Antonio community and breeds all things our community, company, & teams can benefit from.

*Courtney at the ASCE Top Golf Social