KFW was one of the first places Ashlee applied to upon her graduation. Ashlee had interned at two other civil engineering firms, but when she came in to interview and tour the building, she was drawn in by the KFW people and the culture of KFW. She enjoyed how her interview questions were more about her personality and personal strengths. She recalls how her interviewer said, “I really think you’ll fit perfectly here!”

Position: Engineer in Training
Years at KFW: 3.5 Years
Favorite part about working at KFW: The people. Every single person on our team is a wonderful human and we genuinely care about each other’s success.

Before working at KFW, what was the most unusual or interesting job you've ever had?

I worked on a cruise ship as a singer/musician for 2 – ½ years. It was there that I met my husband, Chris, who was working as a photographer on board. Through working on cruise ships and other travel throughout the years I’ve gotten to travel to 6 of the 7 continents and have been to over 46 countries! Some interesting things about working on ships:

• You work every single day. I had a cushy job as a musician, so I only worked 4 hours max per day, and there were a few times that I actually had a day off!
• The crew usually sleeps below the water line of the ship. When I worked in Alaska, and we would go into Glacier Bay, I would be woken up by the sound of icebergs hitting the side of the ship.
• The crew has their own bars that passengers can’t go to. Every night is a party, and you know everyone there! Karaoke nights were epic with the Broadway-style casts on board.
• The crew can sign up to go on shore excursions as a chaperone. I got to go for free on a kayaking adventure in Alaska, cycling in New Zealand (I’m not great on bikes… you can ask me about that experience), and on a tour of the souks (markets) in Tunisia.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

Outside of work, I love spending time with my family and, most of all, my daughter Lucy. She is two and a half years old and a load of fun! We love swimming in the pool, playing games, and spending time outside! My husband and I still love to travel and try to get away at least a couple of times per year.

When you were younger, what was your dream job, and how does that compare now?

My family likes to joke about my aspirations as a kid. When I was around 6 years old, my mom would ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up” and I would say, “a horse… but if that falls through, I’ll be a dog”. Needless to say, I was a huge animal lover. I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was very young but then found my talent for singing, so the career path of “superstardom” was my main goal. I was a professional entertainer from the age of 12 up until I “retired” when I graduated from college in 2018, right before starting work at KFW as a civil engineer. I even got to re-live my “glory days” as a musician this past May when I got back together with my old band “The New Vagabonds” for a reunion show! It was great fun, but I don’t miss those late nights in bars!

Any advice for aspiring civil engineers?

Take serious notes. Rewrite them. Ask all of the questions even when you think they’re stupid. Get organized early on and stay organized. Keep records of types of projects and things you’ve worked on so you have reference material to go back to.

If you were not an engineer, what would you do?

If money was no object I would probably be a travel blogger. When we travel we love to go off the beaten path and do the weirdest thing we can find. When we traveled to Italy and France, our favorite places to go were the Catacombs, where they made artwork out of the mummified bodies and bones of humans. One year we were in New Zealand the day after Christmas and went swimming with sharks! We’ve also eaten some weird stuff like scorpions at the night market in Beijing, cuy (guinea pig) and lemon ants in Ecuador, and kangaroo in Australia. I truly believe that travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer. Our big travel goal is to get to go to our final frontier – Antarctica.

Ashlee's co-workers at KFW said the following:

“Ashlee is always willing to help others and is an awesome person to work with. She is consistently there to help guide the team in any circumstance.” ”

“Ashlee is an upbeat and outgoing positive team member. She brings great energy to the office! Ashlee is a wonderful teacher to younger staff and mentors CAD classes. Now we are all CAD experts on the commercial side.” ”

A glimpse into Ashlee's life

Family Fanatic

Ashley currently resides in San Antonio, Texas, where she enjoys having fun with her husband, Chris, two-year- old daughter, Lucy, and her two dogs, Zoey and Bernie.

World Traveler

Ashlee's had the opportunity to travel to multiple locations worldwide during her singing career.

Award-Winning Artist

Ashlee was the "Female Vocalist of the Year" at the 2013 Texas Music Awards.