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Jennifer Schroyer, EI

At Chastain-Skillman, our work is driven by a relentless commitment to innovation and accuracy. This drive is made sustainable, however, by a genuine, people-first culture that is supported by leaders with decades of experience.

An engineer in our Civil Engineering group, Jennifer Schroyer, EI has been with our team for 5 years. Graduating with a BSCE from Florida State University, Jennifer began her career shortly afterward, working for organizations such as KPM Franklin in Kissimmee, FL, the City of Tallahassee, JAKS Engineering in Tallahassee, and Lochrane Engineering in Orlando.

As Engineer IV, Jennifer serves as a design engineer at Chastain-Skillman, tasked with the responsibility of compliance and permitting of projects through respective municipalities in land development and water resources. She is a key team player involved in design-concept, planning, permitting, detailed design, and record drawing for commercial development, and has also assisted in the design of residential development.

She has assisted the Engineer of Record (EOR), designers, and staff by providing due diligence, engineering design, and production for public and private sector clients. Jennifer develops engineering estimates, earthwork, and quantity take-offs as well as reviews shop drawings for correctness and errors. She frequently coordinates with municipalities, other consultants, clients, and utility companies during the design process.

To mark the forth day of National Engineers Week 2021, we talked to Ms. Schroyer about her experiences, fulfilling aspects of her job, and what some of her favorite projects have been over the course of her 8 years in the industry.

Read more below:

Describe your typical day: What do you do as soon as you get to the office? What takes up most of your time? What is your favorite part of the workday?

The first thing getting into the office consists of is reviewing the day’s work with the rest of the Civil Team. I will then check emails. These 2 tasks give me a general direction of my day and week. Most of my day generally consists of technical design work for construction plans, coordination with clients and consultants, and permitting.  My favorite part of the day is when I get on a roll on a project without any interruptions. It often occurs during the middle of the day.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? When did you realize you wanted to become an engineer?

When I was still in my single digits, I wanted to be a teacher because it looked fun.  In hindsight, God bless our teachers, because I was not blessed with patience. I realized I wanted to become an engineer when I was a senior in high school because I was good at math and problem-solving.

Engineering is hard work. We never stop learning. Get ready to make mistakes; be challenged; solve problems; be a team player. And don’t forget to enjoy it. The end-result and the reward are worth the effort.

– jennifer Schroyer, Ei

What has been one of your favorite projects to work on?

I usually don’t like working on roadway projects, but I have really enjoyed working on the Lake Wales Park Avenue Streetscape Project.  I like the challenge of it and watching it transform into something creative and beautiful.

Lake Wales Park Avenue Streetscape Project – Photo Rendering: S&ME

What, in your opinion, is one of the most underrated skills to have as an engineer?

An engineer’s job is not usually described as glamorous. Engineers do the work that usually goes unseen. That’s why we’re needed; there is a lot of design work that goes into making things beautiful that goes beyond the aesthetic. Engineers ensure that the beautiful is structurally and environmentally sound, keep the environment clean, making sure none of the proverbial puzzle pieces fall through the cracks.

What is one of the most fulfilling aspects of your job as an engineer? Why have you continued to be an engineer all of these years?

I love watching the design of a project come to life.  I like seeing and knowing people will utilize the resolution, even though they probably won’t understand the hard work and planning that went into it.  Engineering definitely isn’t a thankless job, but it is somewhat altruistic.

What advice would you give to young people who want to pursue engineering as a career?

Engineering is hard work.  We never stop learning.  Get ready to make mistakes; be challenged; solve problems; be a team player.  And don’t forget to enjoy it.  The end-result and the reward are worth the effort.


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