In the world of geotechnical engineering, connections and shared experiences often pave the way for exciting career opportunities. This is certainly the case for the dynamic trio at our St. Louis office: Hamid Rostami, Suraj Bhandari and James Kore-Quaye. All three are proud alumni of SIUE, and their journey to WSP is a testament to the power of networking and connections with industry leaders at conferences and LinkedIn.
From SIUE to WSP: A Journey of Connections
Hamid, Suraj and James all hail from SIUE, a university known for its strong geotechnical engineering program. Hamid's journey to WSP began when he met Xiaomin You, an assistant vice president at WSP, during an ASCE conference, where he learned about an internship opportunity at WSP through her. “I’ve always been passionate about engineering, and geotechnical and tunneling work has always intrigued me. Even though our contributions to infrastructure are often buried underground, it’s incredibly satisfying to know that our work is making a significant impact, even if it’s not visible,” explains Hamid.
Suraj followed suit, connecting with Everett Litton, national practice lead and senior technical principal for trenchless technology, on LinkedIn and subsequently applying, leveraging his work experience from Nepal. Suraj recalls, "Hamid and I had an overlap at school since we shared the same advisor. I asked him about the company and anticipated responsibilities, which aligned with what I was looking for, so I applied for an internship. We all connected through LinkedIn and conferences."
James, who started his studies at SIU in 2023, was encouraged by Suraj to apply for an internship at WSP. "I realized they were into tunneling and geotechnical engineering, areas I was already interested in," James shares.
A Team Built on Unity and Enthusiasm
The team at our St. Louis office is not just about work; it's about unity and growth. James highlights the leadership of Everett Litton, saying, "Everett's unity and enthusiasm for the team are incredible. He wants everyone to progress and connects us with people who can help us grow."
Our team is growing, and we are working on major projects like reconstruction of approximately 2.5 miles of US-54/East Kellogg in Wichita and the reconstruction of I-94 from Burns Street to Barret Avenue in Michigan.
