Surveying is not a profession most people grow up knowing about. In fact, most people who enter the field do so because a parent or relative introduced them to it. For me, I fell into surveying through a different route. A little less direct but ultimately to where I was meant to be.
I attended Stephen F. Austin State University with plans to pursue a degree in wildlife biology. I had high ambitions of hosting my own hunting show. However, after the first semester, it became clear that success in that realm relied more on who you know than what you know. As I started reconsidering my direction, I looked at the fallback careers of wildlife biology, most of which led to being a game Warden. However, at my mother’s encouragement, I enrolled in an introductory surveying course. Growing up, I had always been mathematically inclined, and she recognized that surveying might align well with my strengths. That single decision proved to be pivotal.
As I dug deeper into the profession, I discovered that the long-term goal end game was to become a Registered Professional Land Surveyor (RPLS). At the time, that required a four-year degree, and The University of Texas at Tyler was one of only two universities offering such a program. Conveniently, it was just 60 miles west of SFA. I made the transition and never looked back.
Throughout college, I spent my summers and holidays working on lot and block surveys. While valuable, those experiences helped me realize that I was more interested in large-scale, complex projects. After graduating, I joined Survcon as a party chief and quickly found myself working on impactful assignments: boundary work for the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs, primary control for scanning the Battleship Texas, FEMA bridge studies across multiple states and post-hurricane structure documentation on the Bolivar Peninsula.
These opportunities came during the 2008 economic downturn, when steady work wasn’t guaranteed. I took every opportunity available. Survcon had a contract with FEMA to conduct bridge studies that took me to Nashville, Tennessee and Tuscaloosa Alabama as well as many parts of Texas.
While working in the field, I earned my Surveyor-in-Training certification, but to take the next step toward becoming an RPLS, I needed to gain experience on the office side of surveying. When that opportunity wasn’t available at my current firm, I made the difficult decision to move on. In October 2013, I passed the RPLS exam at the age of 27, becoming one of only three licensed surveyors under 30 in Texas at the time.
Even after achieving my license, I found myself searching for the right long-term fit. That turning point came in the summer of 2018, while working on a particularly complex boundary survey involving early 1900s subdivisions. The client provided a prior survey signed by EHRA Engineering’s Charlie Kennedy, Jr., RPLS whom I had never met. Recognizing the complexity of the situation, I reached out, and that decision changed everything.
My tech and I met Charlie out at EHRA’s Westoffice building 3 a few weeks later. Charlie brought decades of knowledge and documentation related to the property—insight that proved invaluable. More importantly, it sparked a professional relationship that led to our follow-up conversation where he encouraged me to consider a role at EHRA.
Having spent over a decade in the industry, I was already familiar with the firm’s reputation. At the time, I was working in an environment that felt more transactional than developmental. The opportunity to join a firm that prioritized growth, mentorship and quality was an easy decision.
My path into surveying may have been accidental but that’s precisely the point. As an industry, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to broaden awareness of what surveying offers. It’s a field that combines technical precision, problem-solving and real-world impact, yet it remains largely undiscovered by the next generation of professionals.
I joined EHRA in January 2019, and it has been the most impactful career move I’ve ever made. Beyond technical expertise, I have been given the tools and support to grow as a project manager, leader, and that investment in people has not only shaped my career but also allowed me to share and advocate my experience with the next generation of talent—offering not only a career, but a platform for growth, challenge and long-term fulfillment.