Celebrating National Mentorship Month with Julia Hoath
Julia has been a roadway engineer at Kimley-Horn for 3 years, graduating from Purdue University in 2019, and is a member of our WTS Phoenix-Metro Chapter. Julia was a mentee in our 2022 Jane Morris Mentorship Program cohort. She is an exemplary female in the transportation industry who has taken her career into her own hands by gaining meaningful connections and mentors, hoping to grow and excel further. When Julia is not wearing her engineer hat she is backpacking, hiking, and volunteering with Future City, a middle school STEM program. Some of her favorite spots to get outdoors include the McDowell Mountain Preserve, Glacier National Park in Montana, and the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.
Julia will be co-leading the 2023 Jane Morris Mentorship cohort and hopes to inspire others in the industry. As we celebrate National Mentorship Month this year, our Chapter is thankful for members like Julia who continue to advance women in transportation, and we aim to continue helping advance her.
In honor of Mentorship Month, we asked Julia to reflect on her time in the Jane Morris Mentorship Program and to speak on what mentoring means to her:
What was your favorite memory from this part year’s 2022 Jane Morris Mentorship Program?
I really enjoyed our end-of-year celebration where we got to spend time together and recognize each other’s accomplishments. The time spent bonding with other mentees will serve all of us well throughout the rest of our careers. Knowing we have other women to reach out to that will understand where we’re at is so uplifting.
What do you find most beneficial about having a mentor?
As the only woman on my team at work, having female mentors from different sectors of the transportation industry who can empathize (not just sympathize) with my day-to-day experience is invaluable. So many of them have been in my shoes, and they share lessons that can only come with years of hard work in our field.
Who and/or what is your biggest motivation?
My biggest motivation is helping others grow professionally. Nothing is more satisfying than building teammates up and seeing them take the next step in their careers. The more we invest in newer and younger staff, the more the entire team can be successful and flourish.
What do you hope this year’s participants in the mentorship program walk away with?
I hope this year’s participants walk away with a firm understanding that they truly belong and have a place in the transportation world. I also hope that they form strong bonds with the other mentees and mentors that they can lean on and carry with them well after the program ends.
