Latest / AccessCo Leaders Career Conversations / Job Security & Adaptability
Transcript
- speaker-0: Hello, and welcome back to Access Co-Leaders. I'm Ilyne Deliquinia and I get to host this session with our students from Tacony Charter Academy and or Tacony Academy Charter High School. And we have an incredible guest, Mr. Steve Kote, who is the Senior Principal Planner of Transportation with RS and H. Welcome, Steve. speaker-1: Thank you. So excited to be here, everyone. speaker-0: We are happy to have you. Now, behind your name, you have a bunch of letters, P-E-A-I-C-P. And yes, we had to look it up to make sure we know what that means. I looked up and it says that you're the licensed professional engineer and certified urban planner. Can you tell us what that means in your world and a little bit in like one or two sentences, what you guys do at R S and H. speaker-1: Okay. Yes, yes, of course. Well, first of all, y'all, thank you so much for having me. I'm very excited to be here. the initials after my name, PE Professional Engineers, basically a licensed engineer, sort of like a a doctor or a lawyer sits for the the board. engineers have to sit for a test. And I'm cer certified by the state of Georgia and I'm a l and I carry a license to do civil engineering. AICP is a certification. for urban planning th through the American Institute of Certified Planners. So that basically just means that I have a cre credential for urban planning. the company, what our company does, we are an architectural engineering and consulting firm. about two thousand people across the country. I sit in Atlanta, Georgia. we do everything from transportation, we do a lot of roadway work bridges airports we actually do work for s for space that nasa is a client of ours we do work in the construction industry we do work for buildings and commercial i think i'm missing something we we do a whole lot of really fun things things i don't even even know about just lots of people there so yeah so that's it in a nutshell speaker-0: Course. Well, that is impressive. I think anyone who can say that they work with NASA is pretty cool. Now you mentioned you sit in Atlanta. The company is based out of Jacksonville. I actually passed by the building in Tampa. So I'm like, I know that company. so you guys are all over the place. But let's learn a little bit more about you personally, Steve. Where did you grow up? And can you share a little bit during middle school and high school, which was not too far long ago, what kept you busy? What what were your interests back then? speaker-1: Righty. so yeah, so I'm originally from New New York State, actually, y'all. So even further north than you are. north of Al Albany, New New York, a suburb of Albany. grew up there, went to high school there. and what kept me going during middle school and high school, a lot of it was studying. I was kind of a book bookworm nerd. and I was also an athlete. I I I tried to play football. I was a little bit small, so I got really beat beat up quickly and kinda quit that one. played soccer, baseball, but really got into running 'cause that was what I was best at. So I like ran track and cross country. also did cross country skiing because in the tundra of upstate New New York we have lots of snow. So yeah, so that's what I I did a whole lot of stuff. So speaker-0: Awesome. So you were a bookworm. So you were into the academics and an athlete. Of those activities you did, what did you pick up anything that you apply today as a as an engineer? speaker-1: gosh, yeah. yeah, I definitely like math and science. I think I was very analytical and I'm still analytical. Friends and fan family always say that. So yeah, so I definitely learned that. I learned really how to study well for myself and kind of tricks and then tips, taking notes, you know, you know, those kinds of things. yeah, so really trying to kind of learn as much as I as I could. speaker-0: Okay, awesome. Well, before you were thinking about becoming an engineer and what you currently do professionally, what were you naturally drawn to spending your time on? Like what kinds of books were you reading? Like you shared a little bit about not making the you know, like football was a little bit challenging and getting through that, you know, that that time. speaker-1: I was, you know what? When when I was a kid, I was always building like houses and like drawing build buildings and those kinds of things. So I and I'm not sure if they still have these yet, but I was also I I played a lot with lake Legos and erector sets. this one thing called gird girders and and panels where I would build these like skyscrapers and like build these like plastic things about like three three feet tall. So I was always kind of drawn to kinda like structural things. had an uncle who's a civil and engineer also and I talked to him an awful lot. my grandfather was in construction, so that was kind of passed down. So I think kind of like just that that building part of it was just kind of in in me and you know, seeing things kind of going from a plan to to something else, right? speaker-0: Yeah. So it sounds like you had a personal interest and then you had exposure through your family. Yeah. So that's awesome. Totally. speaker-1: Do speaker-0: Well, we are gonna shift gears now and our students are gonna interview you based on what they have learned through your introduction and some research. So let's go ahead and start off with Liz. What's your first question for Steve? speaker-2: If it seemed that you graduated from Georgia University or Institute of Technology. That's very that's big for you. you were born in New York? speaker-1: Yes, yep, yes. I was born in actually in Schenectady, New York, which is just north of or kind of a little little town near Al Albany, so upstate. And yeah, and I looked at a couple of couple different schools across the country. My my dad had brought up George Georgia Tech. I I never had really thought about it much or heard of it. but I also looked at Penn State was my second choice and a couple other smaller schools. across the northeast. But yeah, tech was the the only one that that was kind of far away from home. speaker-0: So you moved ac basically across the country to Yeah. speaker-1: To study. Yeah, So that me was just kind of a yeah, it was definitely scary, but it was also sort of exciting at the same time. speaker-0: And different weather. So the climate, you know, will will do something for you. All right. Let's go to Max, you get the next question. speaker-1: Alright. you you said that you you're you're like family, right? had previous experience with like construction and stuff in your field. Do you think that like peer pressured you into working like in the position that you are now? Or or was that your own choice? Yeah, no, no, great question. I think it was sort of a natural kind of a fit. I would say my like quite quite honestly my like dad kinda guided me a little bit more because I didn't really know the difference between say architecture, engineering and that type of thing. I'm gonna I'm gonna date myself, but but this is before the internet. So finding things out was very hard. You had to go to the library and pick and pick and take out books and that kind of thing. So I think these days it's probably easier to learn about fields, right? And then how to match things up. But But even what I went went to school for and what I started my my first job doing in what I currently do are totally different. So that's one other thing I would like like to kind of say is that y'all don't feel you know worried about about getting stuck in a certain job because you can always morph into something else. You know, when when you're picking a college or picking a ma major, I would I would say just keep your your mind open and just keep on trying to learn and kind of find what's you know your And then what what drives you? speaker-0: I love that encouragement. Sophia, you're up. What's your first question for Steve? speaker-2: Hi, it's really nice to meet you and my question was is your company involved in like all the fifty states as well as which states do you see most of your business? speaker-1: Great question. I would say our company we're we're not in all fifty states, but we're in a lot of them. maybe thirty or so of of them. like Ilyne said, we are based in Jacksonville, Florida. So we got our start eighty-five years ago, actually, in Jac Jacksonville, Florida. So we we have a big presence in in Florida and the southeast, but we've moved across the country, even have a Philadelphia office. Probably not as much in the in the northeast as in the southeast and in Texas and some out out west. So speaker-0: Great question, Sophia. And I don't think I realized that it was 30 states. You may have mentioned it. I was more interested in like, you're in Atlanta. That's cool. All right. Amira, you get the next question. speaker-2: So my question is how did like your job affect you like personally, like negatively or positively? Like whichever way. speaker-1: Ooh, that is a great question. Let me think about that one. I would say because I've I've had a couple of different jobs with a couple of different companies, and I've always worked for the private set sector. So my my jobs have have always been on the private side. I would say I've definitely learned a lot of things about how to balance like workload topics and like kind of that workload. kind of work home life bal balance, right? Because it's probably you've you've probably heard of of things kind of encroaching over and stuff. So I would I would say just trying to keep from an encroaching over too much, just just try to leave leave work home as as much as I as I can. But it's really helped me out because personally I think from a social perspective, you sometimes will meet people in in college and in your your profession that you become friends with also. So that's kind of fun. so it's it's helped me kind of widen my range of con contacts. but you know, like like anything else, you know, you've got to watch your stress and your activity and just kind of putting things down. so that's probably things I would watch. speaker-0: That's awesome. It's always the people, right? There's the good stuff in the company and experience. You did mention that, you mentioned something and I just want to help our students understand. You mentioned the private sector. Can you explain in just a few sentences? What is private sector versus like public sector? speaker-1: Yeah, great question. Private sector is a private company. So that's basically if you think of like say an Apple or a Google Google. the public sector in in our field is anything that is a gov government type of an a agency. So it could be the state, say of of Penn Pennsylvania, the city of Philadelphia, the county, re regional type types of things. When when you're dealing with with infrastructure, it's typically funded on on the public side. So we oftentimes our our clients, the people we we work for who give give us work and pay pay our our bills, are on that public side. But because I am with a consulting firm, we're we're hired by that side. The pup public side hires us to to help them do plans, help help them build things, yeah, and help. help them in in any any way we actually can. So speaker-0: Thank you for that explanation, Steve. I don't think I understood the difference between private and public sector until I was at the Pentagon. So it s it says a lot. But we're planting the seeds with our students very early. speaker-4: You are. speaker-0: Let's go to Nana. You get the next question. speaker-2: Okay, hi. my question is with your career did you always want to travel or was it something pushed onto you even when taking the job? speaker-1: Did I did I always want to travel? speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-1: that that is a great question. I love to travel. I don't know if I if I really knew how much I love to travel till I started traveling. Then I was like, wow, there's like so much out here. yeah, just because thinking thinking back and like even even seeing, you know, how how much more easy now it is, probably in cost wise to like travel. I had never seen the Pacific Ocean until Probably in my thirties. that kind of a thing. Yeah, really. So I was an East Coast boy and just never really, you know, got got to see a lot of the country out west and then also intern nationally. I've had an opportunity on a personal basis to like travel overseas and that's just fascinating. speaker-0: Awesome. Great question, Nana We're back to you, Liz. speaker-2: You seem very, very accomplished and that's always something to look forward to and like to look up to. I see that your experience, you've been working at the company for twenty years. Is there a reason why you stayed for so long? speaker-1: That is another great question. Gosh, y'all y'all are like really, really good. yeah, because I'm gonna circle back to the people. I just really enjoy the the team that I'm with. it's a great team. yeah, I mean, my my boss and I have worked together for 20 years. so it's it's just a good part partnership and I and the and the folks on our team, even under me are just really, really awesome people. So you know, we we work hard, but we we also have fun. You know, we like try to just, you know, tell tell jokes or you know, kind of make make make things fun in in the middle of of our getting work done piece of it. So yeah, but it's been a great company also. They they've treated me well. I really feel like I've been been able to learn and and grow here an awful lot. so yeah, I just really haven't wanted to to leave. So I just haven't. speaker-0: So what I'm hearing, that was a great question, Liz. And what I'm hearing with you, Steve, is that it wasn't just the people. It was also the opportunities that RSNH has provided. And you shared earlier that RSNH is an 85-year-old company. So that says a lot about, and I'm sure you're not the only person who's been there that many years. speaker-1: Right. No, true. Yeah, yeah. There's there's some that have been here thirty or forty years, which is yeah, like in in this day and age. I will I will also say too, my father, you know, he he he worked the same job, worked for the public s sector for the for the fet federal government for over thirty years. So I think I was sort of in ingrained in just that. You know, you just get a get a job and you just work well and you just make make the best out of it. you know, not not everybody Does that. Some some folks get tired or bored or just wanna see what what else is out there. So speaker-0: I vote. That's awesome. speaker-1: Happy. So speaker-0: It's good to hear that. It's good to hear that you're part of a a a company that's worth staying for. So and that you're not the only one. Max, Your your next question for Steve. speaker-1: So for working twenty years in this company, there has to have been problems, issues that have arose here and there. So what was the biggest one that you had to deal with and how? Gosh, y'all. great questions. you know, I would say sometimes companies will like go through what's called a re organization and some sometimes things change and it's a and it's a little hard to kind of take in the changes and all that. you know, that that's that's always tough. I would say sometimes too you have great people on your team who unfortunately leave, right? That's also hard. And and folks leave because of a lot of things. I mean some sometimes they just you know want to move overseas or have kids or just just want to do a totally di different type of a job. so yeah, so I've I've always kind of hated when I've lost really, really good good people who are part of our team, but I totally understand that that's part of it. companies like any anything else change also. And that's that that reorg that that re reorganization part of it. So that that's just kind of part of, you know, as as I've gotten older and wiser, I guess, you just kind of learn that that happens. And it's it's actually not a bad thing. It it's really a good thing to like kinda keep keep things fresh and give folks new chances to like do do things. So speaker-0: I like that you emphasize that. Yeah. You know, if you decide that you're gonna change companies, that's fine. But also try to do something better, right? Like and pick up a better skill or or just get that promotion. But I love that you've been showing that growth with RSNH. speaker-2: So on your website I see that you guys are really big on in community involvement and engagement. So I would like to know a little bit more about that and like the type of things that you guys do. speaker-1: We do a lot of really great things. all I mean, from our company standpoint, we actually have a fund where, you know, we can can contribute into the fund and then the the company takes that money every I think it's now every six months. And we we actually have folks in our firm who up apply for for funding for like non profits and those kind kinds of things, right? So, you know, financially we are able to like help other non non you non profits across the company. We do a lot of volunteering you know from our office level. Like I'm I'm in Atlanta here and we'll often go and help out say at a food food bank and box boxing up food and that type of thing. Just so so many types of things. We have a STEM pro program also and in and here I've actually been been able to work with high school in in it Atlanta, we actually have high school students who come to our office here as as part of course and learn what it's like to like work in an in an office. So that's been fun on a personal level to work with, you know, like your your peers and help help them see what's what it's like to actually be in an in an office. speaker-0: Awesome. And speaking of being in an office, I feel like the this generation, they get to have conversations about like, do they want to actually be in the office or work from home, work remote? and we have plenty of thoughts on that. So we'll let the students ask if that's if they're curious. Let's go to Amira. speaker-2: So my question is, how do you resolve setbacks and figure out what's the next best step and how to move on forward from that? speaker-1: Good questions, setbacks. you know, they are part of life, and unfortunately things happen. and some sometimes too, your personal life things happen too that just in encroach over to your work work life, you know. So I have learned and it's good advice that I was I was taught and I and I and I learned over time. It's really good to sleep on things, you know, if if you're having a a bad day or a hard time or a ch or a challenge, you know. It's always good to to go home, get get your mind off of things, go for a walk or go for a run or do something, right? Play play with a pet. and and just come come back the following day with a fresh perspective. 'Cause that to me really helps and it and it really does kind of clear things over. Things that that seemed really bad the previous day don't you know doesn't always seem as as bad the following day. speaker-0: Nana, your next question. speaker-2: Okay, my question is, was there ever a moment where you felt unmotivated and how did you gain your motivation back? speaker-1: yeah, that, you know, I think I think the mo motivation like like anything else is a cycle, right? And sometimes we we don't even know why we're not mo motivated. It could be because we didn't sleep well. It could be because we're hungry or we're, you know, we we missed you know having coffee or something in the morning, right? so you know, I I try to give myself grace in that sense. Because I've I've learned that some days, I mean, even even this this week, y'all, I mean, there was days where I was productive, right? And then other other days where I'm just sitting there and my mind is just floating. So yeah, I would I would say give give yourself grace because all of us have ups and downs, with with lots of things. speaker-0: That's good. Good, Steve. And you've been there for so long that you whatever you're doing, it it it happens to be working. We're gonna we're gonna shift over to spending some time to get to know our students. So our students, they're not rookies, they've done this before. This is their opportunity to continue to sharpen up how they introduce themselves to a professional and share what their interests are. Steve, this is your opportunity to go ahead and pour some wisdom or encouragement into each of our students for what they share. So Liz, speaker-2: Hi, I'm a junior in high school. I play multiple sports. I play softball, bowling and volleyball. And I wish to be a detective or somewhere in the investigative studies area. And I have a question for you. Is there any advice you would give for college graduates in finding a job right after college? speaker-1: well, first let me let me say congratulate you on your your activities and ever and everything else. You sound like you you have a full plate. finding a job outside of college, you know, I think I'm gonna go back to sort of what I said earlier. Don't, you know, don't worry if what's your, you know, your your first job might not be your only job, right? You know, I mean, obviously, it's probably hard to like job. you know, to like change qu you know, very quickly and all that. But but take every take every experience as that, as a chance to like learn, maybe learn what you like, but also what you don't like. and even, you know, what kinds of supervisors do you have and what kind of a su supervisor in the future would you like to be, right? You know, so I always try to kind of mirror what I've seen and try to kind of pull the best of of of what I've seen. speaker-0: So, Steve, you you started off as an engineer and you've been with RS&H. Were there times that you thought, okay, well, I want to focus more on bridges or I want to focus more on, you know, this kind of structure? Can you tell us a little bit about early on in your career how to discover more specific things in your industry that you can start to move towards? speaker-1: Yeah, no, that is a great question. And and actually I I did have a change in I sh shifted my career many, many years. I I got my my undergraduate to degree first and I worked for a period of time and then I went back to to grad grad school and kind of changed what what I was doing. So what I would say y'all is don't hesitate, you know, lit listening And you know, trying to under understand what fields are are out there. I think now with with the internet and so many things, even A AI, right? Probably put in your like skills and interests and all that. And there's there's so many ways now that I think you can quicker kind of get matched in with certain things. But just learning and just experiencing. I mean, really, there is no sub substitute for just experience and just talking to people. asking lots of questions like like this. You will learn so much more, I think, even by just talking to people and lit listening than even possibly, you know, I don't I don't want to say don't don't go to school because of course you have to go, right? But a classroom, some sometimes you know, a structure is almost too rigid, right? And it's and it's not always actual, right? The the real real world isn't isn't always like a a course. So Yeah. So just be up be open and I would almost have have fun with it, you know? And then like just don't don't be scared and ner nervous about it. Be excited about what's out there and what what your passion is and you will find that. And if it's not the first year, then it's gonna be at some speaker-0: That's right. All right, Liz, that was a great question. But I wanted you to hear that Steve took his time early in his career. So for you, as you start to grow in, you know, in the police department, wanting to be a detective or whatnot, you might want to be you know, you might want to investigate something very specific and be the subject matter expert in that in that area. So just continue to find that interest and people will come to you. Keep keep keep focused on on your on your passion there. speaker-1: Yeah and Liz yeah and Liz too, if I could interject just yet your your topic, I mean your your interest. my boss's son actually had had the same in interest and and he went back to graduate school to actually kind of hone in on that field. And now he he actually works for the Department of Defense doing like spy work that that she doesn't doesn't know what he what he does, but it's like top secret classified stuff, so but you know, he he had that that same passion and and he found a path to kind of get get there. So yeah. speaker-0: I see a big smile and perking up there, Liz. That's awesome. Thank you for sharing that, Steve. Let's hop over to Max. Go ahead and introduce yourself to to Steve. speaker-1: I'm Max, senior in high school and I'm looking to be in pre vet and later become a veterinarian in the future in college. I just wanted to know with with all the experience and how many years you spent, how did you get through all the workload? Like was it just through passion or like motivation or did you like bounce it out? How how did you do it? Yeah, great question. And great, great feel too. love an animals and dogs and you know, so yeah, it's an awesome field. you know, getting getting through work and you know, some sometimes not everything's fun, right? Like say you in vet vet world. I mean your you know, schoolwork might start out and then you you might have have certain classes you you don't love and certain classes you you do love, right? So unfortunately we all have to do do things that we we don't always love. but if you just keep your like eye on that final place, right, you will get through that that tunnel. And you know, some sometimes too, what I've what I've learned, honestly, is I will do things that I don't wanna do and I'll do them first, just to kind of get done. And then I'll look forward to the things that I I do like doing and I'll and I'll have have that as like almost a a reward. And then also too, take take breaks. You just have to rest and you just have to have have fun. 'Cause it's that that clearing your mind also and it really helps out. speaker-0: So Max described a industry or an interest that's gonna require him to go to school and keep going to school to keep sharp and educated. Can you share a little bit about if RS&H invests in their company and then in their employees in in higher degrees or in their interest and how does that work? speaker-1: Yeah, yeah, great question there too. Yes, we actually do. we will actually help folks go back to school. We'll we'll actually help pay for our associ associates here to go back, say and like go speaker-5: Get a mat. speaker-1: master's or a you know, professional degree in something. we will help with like training classes, we'll help continuous learning. We actually offer training in our company too, that all of us take train training classes often. So there's there's lots of ways to keep lear learning and you know and it and it actually helps both parties, right? The company or the public sec sector a agency and the person because you know, because that that ri rising boat or that that rising tide does you know lift all all boats. So you know, I think I think that that investment in growing and lear learning, and it's some sometimes also in like softer skills. And those soft softer skills can just be things like how to write better, how to work with with your team better, how to deal with like stress better. You know, there's we we have all kinds of things all the time, like like even little web webinars that, you know, can kind of watch about things even like stress and yeah, those those kinds of things. speaker-0: So Max, I don't know if that's gonna apply for to you with being interested in becoming a veterinarian. If there's any companies out there that would say, hey, we'll sponsor you, we'll send you to school. When we last talked last semester, you were working with horses. do you think there's any may pop possible opportunities with them to continue to invest in your professional development and interests? speaker-1: I'd think so. A a bit. But I think the more helpful it is is that it gives me like skills into pushing into it, you know, like it's a really great thing when you're going to animals and you put like stuff like veterinary assistant, like helping out with veterinaries and like working with animals beforehand. And I think that's that's really helpful. And and my my mom, who just like w wasn't working looked at me and she she's like, I'm going back into a veterinary assistant. and she's like, if I get a job I'll I'll bring you in and and you can work under whoever and I I find it really great. speaker-0: That's awesome. Awesome. That's awesome. Steve, did you in your company, did you guys or do you work with anybody who started off in the trades and then grew into engineering and and the positions that they're in today? speaker-1: Yeah. there are lots of folks even who don't always, you know, go to a you know, I I would say tr traditional four four year school. I mean, some go to a two two year school. probably more on the construction side, you know, it's it isn't gonna always be a traditional path. But that but that doesn't mean folks, you know, do any l you know, worse. I mean they just you know it's it's just a di different different path. And I think now the times are so Different even from from when I was coming up through, right? There are so many more options now where, you know, trades offer so much and pay well, pay extremely well that, you know, a four-year c college degree is still helpful, but it it doesn't always have to be that only. yeah, I would keep all options open. speaker-0: Right. And Max, I think you you maybe I've I've because I've done interviews with you for so long now, Max, but it's you're so right as far as picking up those skills, whatever that looks like. In the trades, it'd be being out there working with an electrician as either an apprentice or, you know, interning. in your case, you know somebody who's gonna go and be a vet tech and and get your foot in the door. So you're doing the right things there, Max. speaker-2: So hi, my name is Sophia and I'm really interested in like construction. one of the skilled trades. And you know, with these trades, connections is a very big thing. So I have a question is that what's the best way to get connections? Like how do you network with people when you're not entirely comfortable with doing it? Like how how do you approach them? speaker-1: Great question too. And yes, I totally agree. 150% connections are so helpful. and you will learn over time, you will kind of learn and build those and stuff. I would say the best way is to find groups, right? I mean, find any pro professional groups. I mean, even young groups, right? I don't, you know, I'm sure construction has just just a broad range of things to do, but you know, for 4 H or other things, you know, you know, Girl Scouts, boy, boy scouting, those those kinds of things. But just yeah, I would I would say if if you aren't comfortable doing it, you know, chances are other folks aren't either. And I don't think I was always that comfortable either, right? So you know, I think the best way is to just, you know, kind of think of what you may maybe hear others say and you know. It's always easy to talk about others and ask them questions and that I think can can sometimes help break break ice also. but yeah, great, great question. Very, very wise about about connections. It's it is, it is so important. speaker-0: So Steve, you're not necessarily in the construction field, but you're associated with it. in in your years with in your industry, have you seen a change seeing women actually in this industry? Can you tell us a little bit about that journey? speaker-1: Yes, yeah. I mean there there has definitely been a change and a good positive change. where you know be barriers that might have once been there or you know per perceived bar barriers aren't aren't quite as you know, I would I wouldn't say are prevalent, but there's there's so many opportunities and and so many role role models too, right? You know, and then I would I would say also, you know, you You might even target folks that that you have meet you know or met or know know of and just like send them a met message or a link LinkedIn and just say, Hey, you know, I'm I'm curious about about this and even, you know, kind of reach out, right? And that that way might might even help because some sometimes, you know, an email or a or a chat is easier than a face face to face, right? 'Cause it's it's kind of a yeah, it's just probab probably an easier way. But yes, I I mean you are totally right. their barriers have changed so much. And there's and companies are are really searching for, you know, folks that aren't from the same place, right? That that bring new perspectives in, that that know things have traits and yeah, and strengths that that others might not have, right? speaker-0: Right. speaker-1: So that you know, kind of mix and then dive first kind of group of of employees really makes any any or organization, any agency really stronger. So speaker-0: I concur. Thank you for sharing that, Steve. You're welcome. Good. With all your experience. Let's go to Amira. Your opportunity to introduce yourself to Steve. speaker-2: Hi, so my name's Amira. I'm in tenth grade and I also do three sports. I do volleyball, chair and softball. And my question for you is that if you were still in high school, what have you would have done differently? speaker-1: another another great question. my gosh, y'all. I mean I I haven't thought about these probably a while, but great question. I would have gotten more involved. Okay, I'm I was very involved in terms of in terms of academics. I was very involved in terms of sports. What I didn't probably do that I I should have done more was more on the leadership side. Maybe like joining a student council or maybe joining more clubs that that didn't have to do with sports or ac academics, but might have had to do more with how to s how to plan a like an event or an or organization and then just, you know, those those types of things. So I would say the more kinds of types of of activities you're doing, the the better kind of skill set you will bring out of high school into the, you know, real world or, you know, college level level world and then future. speaker-0: So, Amira, I the note that I have is that you were still a little bit unsure about what direction you want to go in after high school. Do you have you you know that we've been in a few more weeks in school, is there a specific subject or is there something that comes more naturally to you or it's it's like this is my easy subject? Talk to us a little bit about that, Amira. speaker-2: I wouldn't like I'm honestly not too sure. Like I like it's some majors like in my mind that I'm like thinking about, but yeah. That's just where I'm at, like. speaker-0: Well, the sports that you play seem to be people, like, right? You're part of teams. You're not playing an individual sport. Do you like working with people? speaker-2: Yes, I love working with people. Like I don't know, I just like being around people and I like being social, so speaker-0: Like, does math come easier to you? Does like do you like to read? Is there anything that like are you like with with with science are you like, nah, I really don't want to dissect that frog today? You know, that's how I knew it. I knew I was not gonna go in healthcare. I will say that. I like people, but I don't like to cut speaker-4: Splash. speaker-2: honestly, like I I don't feel like there's necessarily like a hard subject for me. Like I feel like all of them are like all in like the same level, you know. speaker-0: Okay. Well, we're gonna keep asking the questions and you know it sounds like you're academically and athletically inclined, which makes you a powerhouse that you could probably do anything. speaker-1: Yeah, yeah. Plus also too, if I could, you know, interject. I mean, having the people skills or just l loving people, you know, one one thing even in a technical field, there are people who do more of the tech technical work and then there's there's other people who do more of the selling work, and then that's more of a people facing part of it. So in almost any type of a career, you're you're gonna ha you know, you can have people who are more of the technical specialists and then more of the people-facing side. things. And that's true with anything. you know, if it's a a vet because of a vet, you're still dealing with people, you know, pets owners and that's that people side of it, right? So I think everything has a people side to it. So people people skills are always huge. Huge, huge. So speaker-0: Dave, I'm so glad you brought that up. It's part of our mission, why we act as AccessCo Leaders So the students can see you don't have to be an engineer to work for an engineering firm, right? They're gonna need a human resources department, somebody that does marketing, somebody that actually knows how to fix computers. So Amira, this is our our opportunity to encourage you to continue to ask those questions and and figure that more about yourself. You don't have to find your soulmate career today. but you you know, we want to encourage you to keep asking those questions and find that in yourself and what what your interests are. Thank you for sharing that, Steve, and Amira for being so honest with your with your interests. Nana, we're coming to you, your opportunity to share with Steve a little bit more about your interests and what what keeps you busy. speaker-2: I'm Nana. I'm a sophomore in high school and things that I like to do are volleyball and cheer is about to start, so I'm also about to do that. And my question for you is do your do you think your environment made it harder or easier to pursue your career? speaker-1: that's another good one. I I think it made it easier. I mean I was you know, my you know, father like I said, sort of helped me understand certain things about careers, even though he wasn't in that field, he was able to understand what possibilities were out there and that helped to sort of connect me with you know, good paths that that I could possibly take and then others that that might be more of a challenge. So but that can also come from any anybody. I mean from you know friends of friends or teachers or professionals you you meet. So there's so so many ways that you know you can become that that thing you you want to be. speaker-0: So basically the environment did have some impact, but mostly you just there's and you also shared some resiliency growing up, right? Like football really wasn't it. So let me shift gears into another sport or focus on that. That was a great question, Nana. Sounds like you are also into people in team sports. what position do you play, Nana? And what is it about volleyball that you enjoy? speaker-2: I play back row. something I like about volleyball is the communication part 'cause you have to communicate in order to play volleyball. So I feel like through that communication you're building c a connection with everybody on the team. speaker-0: So good. Steve, talk to us about communication working in a in a in a large company. speaker-1: It's critical, y'all. It's so critical. and it's not always just, you know, spoken word, but writing, emails. I mean, you know, now of course there's chats and texts and everything else, but yeah, being able to just articulate through what your point is, what what you're trying to get across is so critical, not only in professional world life, but personal life too. Yeah, we we always kinda joke, but it's come you know, it's so it's just so critical. It's like the the critical point that everything kinda spins off of. So so bravo na Nana, you you've you know, you you understand that from a team sport because that 'cause that's that's life in a micro sense, you know, you're kinda getting those like skills ready for having to work in the you know, world and yeah, and be very successful. So speaker-0: And I have a note that Nana is interested in becoming a nur a nurse, but not only a nurse, a tr specifically a travel nurse. So I believe that communication is going to be huge and learning how to shift how you communicate with people, right? Because you might be in one environment and this team expects communication a certain way. And it might be different when you go to a different assignment. So Nana, does is that helpful to you? speaker-2: Yes, thank you. speaker-0: So keep on honing those communication skills while you're playing volleyball. we're gonna shift now Liz, what what resonated with you the most today in our conversation with Steve? speaker-2: What resonated with me the most is mainly the jumping out of your comfort zone to find out what you like. Like how he said he was in New York and he went all the way down to make that big move to Georgia. So obviously that was out of his comfort zone, you know, being in a completely different area. And it just pushes me to want to like not be so focused on like maybe like what I'm really interested in, but also like look at at other things and like just come out of my comfort zone a little bit and just find out and learn. speaker-0: We have seen you blossom coming out of your comfort zone through the years. Liz, great job. Max, What what did you hear today from Steve that surprised you? speaker-1: every time I I have to say this, but somehow every single time you one up it, I I I feel like I'm more connected to Steve than like anybody I've ever talked to. speaker-0: That's awesome. speaker-1: From interest to personality. How like from from sports soccer, which I played and track, which I did, I did cross country. And the setbacks and and just being laid back and finding the relaxation of of life just to keep moving, you know. I think the biggest thing that really r like resonated with me is that it's the little things, you know, that that create the big things. Like it it's those little things that you take in and that you learn which build upon, you know, the big goal that you wanna have. And I I think that's w the big key that I took out of this. speaker-0: Awesome, Max. It's been fun listening to you connect with each of our guests. So keep on keep on logging on and and asking those great questions and picking up those details. Let's go to Sophia. Did you hear anything today that made it feel like going into construction is more possible? speaker-2: yes, and I truly do appreciate you coming on here today and talking to us and a lot has really resonated with me. But I really do appreciate you and I thank you for your time today. speaker-1: Thank you, Son. speaker-0: All right, Sophia and Amira, you're next. What resonated with you today? speaker-2: What resonated with me is like the consistency you have for like your career and the passion. Like I really do find that fascinating that you have like this much love for like a career. Like I feel like that's so cool. speaker-0: I love that, Amira, that you picked that up from him. Nana, we're gonna end here with you. What did you learn from Steve about the engineering field or about being part of a company for 20 plus years? speaker-2: I learned about that you have to communicate with everybody on your team. Like it don't matter if you like them or not, like you have to compute with communicate with everybody, speaker-0: That's so good, Nana. All right, Steve, you can take last sixty seconds for final words of encouragement for our students from Tacony Academy, Charter High School. speaker-1: Yes. Well thank you so much again, y'all, for like having me. I mean, this is this has been so I mean, a it's been so much fun, but it's been so enlightening and so im y'all, y'all are so in impressive. I mean, the the questions you've been asking are excellent questions. So I am I think our future in our country is extremely bright because young young folks like like you you all, if it's nursing or volleyball or not. volleyball, possibly volleyball or vet vet techs or construction, anything. I mean there's there's just so much out there. And yeah, like I think Max said it too, right? I mean some sometimes things are there there are set setbacks in in life, right? But there are so many more positives and there's so many more, you know, ups than downs. So don't, yeah, if if you haven't got it all figured out yet, don't don't worry about that. just, you know, can continue to move forward. and Don't stop asking questions, don't s don't stop learning and yeah, I d I just wish you each and all the very, very best. And I'm sure you all do extremely well. speaker-0: Awesome, Steve. what is the website for R S and H? speaker-1: Yeah, it's R S it's the letters R S A N D H dot com. speaker-0: you guys continue to keep learning and exploring. This is AccessCo Leaders, and we will see you next time.