By Chuck Walker
MOBILE, Ala. – In an age where connections often begin and end with a click of a mouse, the enduring value of mentorship and learning from those who have already traveled the road you aspire to be on is greater than ever.
That was the thinking behind James Hathorn's, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, Chief of Water Management, offer to a local rising high school senior at Davidson High School, Jaycee Henderson, when she approached him following a presentation Hathorn gave at a Navy Junior ROTC event Henderson attended.
Henderson expressed her interest in pursuing a career as a mechanical engineer to Hathorn, who then gave her his card and advised her to contact him if she was genuinely interested. Henderson contacted Hathorn the next day, and it was set up that Hathorn would allow Henderson to spend the day talking to and learning from mechanical engineers in the District, getting the opportunity to learn first-hand about the career and the road ahead.
Hathorn said the experiences that students receive, similar to Henderson's opportunity, are invaluable knowledge.
"My approach when young people show interest is to connect them with an employed individual who is working in their field of interest," Hathorn said. "I am a strong believer in the concept, 'if you see it, you can become it. The idea is to blend their exposure with a fairly new employee and a seasoned employee. However, the employee must be relatable to the young person. Otherwise, the experience can be polarizing."
As part of her day of shadowing, Hathorn arranged for Henderson to spend time with Amber Houston, Supervisory Civil Engineer, Becky Smith, mechanical engineer, HVAC systems, and Felicity Bryant, engineer in training for the mechanical systems branch of the Hydroelectric Design Center.
The three engineers provided her with valuable insights into the role of a mechanical engineer, including the types of projects and items they work on daily, and what to expect as a woman in a male-dominated career field.
Henderson said she was glad Hathorn allowed her to do after meeting him at the JROTC camp.
"Spending a day shadowing them made me seriously consider this as a future career path due to the numerous benefits, including positive work environment, learning opportunities, and travel," Henderson said. "My goal after today is to work for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers upon completing my studies."
Bryant, who recently graduated from the University of South Alabama with a degree in engineering, said she spent the time she had with Henderson showing what the day-to-day responsibilities of an engineer are, as well as informing her of the benefits that USACE offers, so she could envision how a career with USACE might be benefit her.
"For young people considering a career with the Corps, it is important for them to know that the organization encompasses many departments and specialties, so there is always the opportunity to learn something new," Bryant said. "I have always been drawn to public service, which is why the corps initially caught my interest, but I decided to make it a career when I learned about the exceptional benefits, strong emphasis on work-life balance, and the opportunities for continued education and personal development."
Houston said she took a mentor-oriented approach in her job shadowing opportunity, focusing on sharing with Henderson personal experiences as well as career growth opportunities within USACE and showing her the diverse paths available.
"I focus on engagement, relevance, and inspiration," Houston said. "I try to connect what we do at USACE to real-world impacts, such as improving military infrastructure, protecting communities from floods, and supporting environmental sustainability so that they can see the larger purpose behind our projects."
Henderson said the most memorable experience for her was discussing with Houston the challenges of being a woman in a career field with not a lot of women.
"As a high school student, I feared I would feel like an outsider," Henderson said. "That was not the case. Everyone made me feel like I belonged. Overall, it was an outstanding experience, and I am thankful for the opportunity to observe the engineers at work."