29 years old • Fort Collins
Co-founder and principal of Sunny Civil
What’s your occupation? Explain your career, accomplishments and professional highlights.
I am the co-founder and principal of Sunny Civil. After graduating from Colorado State University with a civil engineering degree, I worked for a large engineering firm, where I was a project manager and the firm’s civil practice quality leader. In early 2023, another female civil engineer and I launched Sunny Civil. We have since added two employees, both of whom happen to be amazing women. We design essential infrastructure, like utilities and stormwater facilities, parking lots and roads that form the backbone of our community. Our goal is to create these facilities in the safest and most environmentally responsible way. The name of our company, Sunny Civil, reflects Colorado’s great weather and our positive outlook on life.
Tell us about yourself, your history and how you came to be where you are now.
From a young age, I had a passion for horses and quickly realized how expensive they are, which ignited a drive in me. When I was around 8 years old, I took on small jobs, like pet sitting and doing chores for my grandparents, to fund my riding lessons. My aptitude for math and science led me to pursue a solid career that would support my equestrian passion. Today, I am proud to own two horses, Emmett and Lola.
Tell us something unique about you.
It’s in my nature to improve anything and everything around me. In my personal life, this is achieved by training horses and dogs and doing the occasional home improvement project. At work, this is achieved by mentoring others, creating the best design solutions for our projects and finding the most efficient processes for our work.
What do you consider the biggest accomplishment or challenge you’ve overcome, either professionally or personally?
I set a list of goals for myself when I graduated college. It included buying a house, rescuing an ex-racehorse, buying an electric vehicle and purchasing a trailer for my horses. I’m proud to have accomplished these personal goals while balancing my work.
Where do you see yourself in five years? In 10 years?
In five years, I see myself mentoring young engineers and fostering a workplace where they want to build their careers. In 10 years, I aim to open a second Sunny Civil office near Colorado Springs to be closer to my horses while continuing to grow the company and support the next generation of engineers.
What piece(s) of advice would you give to your younger self?
Trust your intuition as your instincts are always correct. The only regrets you’ll have in life are when you ignore your gut feelings. Strive to be a good person and surround yourself with positive influences. Everything else will naturally fall into place.
How do you inspire other young engineers?
My mom is a teacher and raised me to have a knack for training and teaching, and I bring the skills I learned from her into the engineering field. I strive to make training a positive experience for everyone. At my previous company, I trained a team of four younger engineers from the time they graduated college, turning us into a well-oiled machine for project completion. At Sunny Civil, I am committed to maintaining a collaborative environment while creating a more flexible and less stressful workplace. This approach creates an inclusive and productive atmosphere.
How do you find support through horses?
My horses have been my number one motivator throughout my life. Growing up, I was driven to pursue a career that could support my passion for them despite their expense. Now I am at a point where I can maintain my horses and spend quality time with them, which serves as a reset from the responsibilities of other portions of my life. I am always eager to learn more about horses and improve my relationships with them. One thing I have learned from my horses is that they are always trying to do the best they can with the situation they are in, and I think that is true for most people too.
