Driven to Serve: Connecting the profession, the community, and the next generation

There’s a time when almost every student engineer questions what their job will really be like once they leave the safety and order of the classroom.

Thanks to the efforts of TTL engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Alabama Section Tuscaloosa Branch, engineering students at The University of Alabama have a yearly chance to find out.

On Jan. 22, the ASCE Tuscaloosa Branch, in partnership with The University of Alabama Student Chapter of ASCE, hosted its third annual Industry Leaders Panel Discussion. With more than 100 students, faculty members, and ASCE Tuscaloosa Branch members in attendance, the growing turnout underscored the value of connecting students with professionals who once stood in their shoes.

Several TTL employees played key roles in the event – Holly Eriksen, PE, and Kyle Neighbors, EI, served as panelists, while Frank Summers, PE, acted as emcee, helping guide discussion and encourage student engagement.

TTL’s Adam Strachan, PE, now serving as ASCE Tuscaloosa secretary/treasurer, and Karl Elebash, PE, the current ASCE Tuscaloosa Branch president, also helped plan and coordinate the event.

“For students, it’s a really good opportunity to network, ask questions, and talk to working professionals,” said Karl, a UA graduate whose family has ties to the University since its founding in 1831. “Hopefully, this gives them a little peek into what work really looks like coming out of school.”

Panel discussions ranged from work-life balance and career paths to professional licensure, master’s degrees, and how emerging technologies (like artificial intelligence) are shaping the profession.

Holly said the panel’s ability to highlight career diversity – public and private sector roles, remote work, and various engineering disciplines – helps students better understand their options when entering the workforce.

“They didn’t have an event like this when I was a student, and I had a lot of questions,” said Holly, who graduated from UA in 2009. “I think it’s good for students to get advice, not only from professors, but from people doing the day-to-day work they’re pursuing.”

As emcee, Frank said he helped “prime the pump” by opening with questions he wished he’d asked as a student.

“I think it’s important, when you can, to give back because you’ve been there,” he said. “The profession offers a lot of options, and this helps show them what those options may be.”

The evening also included a special recognition, as Frank was named the recipient of the Tuscaloosa ASCE Branch's “Project of the Year” award for his work leading the River Run Park at Northport Shore project.

Though surprised by the honor, Frank said it was an overall TTL team effort that earned the award.

“The award may go to an individual, but it is a recognition of everyone's contribution,” he said. “A lot of people worked hard on that project – it just so happens I was the project manager.”

Through service, mentoring, and leadership, TTL’s Driven to Serve philosophy strengthens both the profession and the communities we support.

“It’s good marketing for TTL to stand in front of a room of potential future employees,” Karl said. “It also builds relationships with those who help us along the way.

“It’s a lot of work, but there’s a lot we get out of it as well.”