- August 12, 2024
- Kimley-Horn Corner
From Campus to Community:
Kimley-Horn Puerto Rico’s
Outreach Efforts
Located in the beautiful city of Guaynabo, our Kimley-Horn Puerto Rico (KHPR) office continuously shows its dedication to local communities. Throughout the last 18 months, KHPR employees have participated in various outreach events, such as site visits for college students, information sessions and career fairs, and a community clean-up.
College Corner: Site Visits
To help develop the next generation of engineers, the KHPR office has sponsored, organized, and volunteered at several events for college students. Beginning last fall, Gustavo Cruz, EIT, organized multiple site visits for local university students—all sponsored by Kimley-Horn.
While he was a university student, Gustavo participated in a site visit to a concrete plant, which propelled his passion for engineering. Inspired by this experience, Gustavo—with help and support from his other teammates—began coordinating technical site visits for engineering students from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico (PUPR), his alma mater, and the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM).
Gustavo organized site visits to the Argos cement plant, Prime Control (an electrical engineering company), and the Canterra Carraizo quarry. During each site visit, students were able to tour the site, see the step-by-step operations process and equipment usage, learn from employees, and ask questions.
Gustavo Cruz, EIT
“I found my passion for engineering when I joined the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) student chapter and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) student chapter at my university. Being involved in both allowed me to participate in various site visits and events. My involvement in ASCE and ICE helped me form meaningful connections and create valuable memories. Once I graduated, I kept in contact with the student chapters to coordinate events and site visits. It has been so fulfilling to see the students’ faces light up during each site visit. It’s rare to have these kinds of opportunities as a student, so it’s quite a profound experience for them to learn about different materials and processes outside of the classroom.”
Last year, Lina Garcia, an intern turned full-time hire with KHPR, and Ruth Robles, a project manager at KHPR, coordinated a similar site visit to the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport for UPRM students. At the site, students were able to tour the Taxiway Hotel rehabilitation project, where they learned about rubblization—an engineering technique that helps reduce costs, time, and materials by converting existing concrete into a structurally sound base for new asphalt.
“During the airport visit, students had the opportunity to see all the equipment that is used to carry out the rubblization process. They also were able to ask questions and hear from the owners of Aerostat Holding LLC—the company that operates the airport—during a presentation. They enjoyed this experience immensely—and I did too!”
Lina Garcia
Around 75 university students from PUPR and UPRM participated in the four site visits. Many of them are also involved in ASCE student chapters.
“These site visits help shape our vision as students to better understand and appreciate the curriculum we are enrolled in. All the students are grateful to have participated in a site visit.”
Connections and Mentorship
Our KHPR teammates have also engaged with local university students by hosting an information session at PUPR and participating in job fairs at PUPR and UPRM.
At the information sessions and job fairs, our employees were able to forge meaningful connections with students and provide them with career advice and more information about Kimley-Horn.
These information sessions helped the KHPR office build a solid relationship with the civil engineering department at PUPR and their ASCE Student Chapter—increasing engineering students’ interest in applying to Kimley-Horn and opening the door to new opportunities.
Building upon the office’s relationships with the local ASCE Student Chapter, Ruth Robles from the KHPR office serves as the practice advisor to the UPRM ASCE Student Chapter. As part of her role, she attended the 2024 ASCE Student Chapter Conference with the group of students from UPRM, where she provided her knowledge, guidance, and mentorship during the event.
Ruth Robles, PE
"When Dr. Felipe Acosta, the UPRM ASCE Student Chapter Faculty Advisor, asked me to be the Practitioner Advisor, I was honored. This role offers a meaningful way to give back to my alma mater and influence the future civil engineers who will shape infrastructure in Puerto Rico and beyond. With Kimley-Horn's support, I have been able to provide these students with valuable tools and opportunities, including mentoring, sponsorships, connections, site visits, and internships."
Community Corner: Service and Outreach
When they’re not busy participating in a Girls in Aviation Day event, the KHPR office also coordinates other community events. Last June, the office organized a community outreach day with Carraizo Embellece—a volunteer group from the town of Trujillo Alto. Several other local organizations participated in the event, including the town’s transportation department, the municipality of Trujillo Alto, and local engineering companies. Together, the team helped collect 30 large trash bags of waste, painted four road barricades, removed road debris, and performed maintenance on electrical posts.
With several community and university outreach events accomplished in the last 18 months, the KHPR office is already on the move planning and organizing more events—and they’re excited about them! Our KHPR office embodies Kimley-Horn’s passion and commitment to serving our people, communities, and the future generation of engineers—and we are proud of the work they are doing. If you’re interested in joining a company that gives back, check out career opportunities here.