This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to complete an internship with the corporate communications group at Hanson Professional Services Inc. in Springfield, Illinois. Hanson hosted 16 students in its Springfield headquarters and 21 in offices across the country in numerous disciplines, offering us the chance to gain hands-on experience and develop our skills.

Growing up, he enjoyed learning math and science. As a child, he built cities with roads and bridges in his sandbox. He can’t remember a time when he didn’t love all things railroad, especially model railroading. After taking an aptitude test in high school that suggested engineering, he focused on civil engineering because he “wanted to work on transportation projects that transformed the natural world.” His name is Mike Pochop, a vice president, senior project manager and railways operations lead at Hanson.

On April 1, the Grow Our Own program hosted its eighth trip to the Engineering Open House. Employees from Hanson and mentors from organizations, including the Springfield Urban League and the Springfield chapter of Frontiers International, accompanied 20 youth on the daylong excursion, which enabled the students to explore the diverse world of technology on display at the university’s annual two-day event. The group experienced hands-on exhibits that varied from virtual reality headsets to a robot with arms that mimic human movements.

They met in a differential equations class when the desire for a date masqueraded as a request for tutoring. Fast forward a few decades, which have included 35 years of marriage and two daughters, and you will find them leading numerous roadway and other infrastructure projects at Hanson’s regional office in Jacksonville, Florida.

“It’s a great time to be an engineer. So much work needs to be done to our infrastructure. Not only will there always be jobs available, but it’s highly rewarding work, as you get to see the fruits of your labor. Civil engineer, mechanical engineer – it doesn’t matter. We need more engineers.” John Nelson, P.E., a vice president and senior project manager who works at Hanson’s Chicago regional office, offered this insight to high school students considering a career in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields during his keynote speech at Shadow Hanson.

As an employee-owned company, we’re here for you whenever you need us, from start to finish, from calm to crunch time. We’re committed to making your priorities our own.

Cemetery restoration may not seem like a typical engineering project, but the opportunity to participate in this type of work is an honor and a privilege. Over the past two years, Hanson’s Florida project team has taken part in restoring two cemeteries in north Jacksonville, Florida — Hillside and Pinehurst — with work ongoing in the city’s Memorial and Old City cemeteries.

Diligence and commitment are two words that describe the professional philosophy of Jeff Alexander, CM, an aviation planner in Hanson’s Orlando regional office. “My dad has been a truck driver for 35 years and never went to college,” Jeff said. “Yet, he has instilled in me the meaning of hard work and dedication.”

Every summer of Hanson internships culminates in the students creating presentations about their accomplishments, with one intern earning a Hanson scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship is given each summer to an intern who goes above and beyond to demonstrate collaboration and teamwork within Hanson’s intern program. This year’s winner is environmental engineering major Mason Johnson, who graduated in June from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, and is pursuing his master’s degree in hydrology and hydrodynamics at the University of Washington in Seattle.

The last few months have been busy for Hanson’s Corpus Christi, Texas, employees. May included a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a community fishing pier and park. Then, on June 29, they took part in another celebration, inviting clients and community members to an open house at Hanson’s recently renovated and expanded office.