ITE Journal – December 2019 - 20

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Young Professional, Rising

Having just completed her undergraduate studies in May, Ariel Farnsworth (M) has a long list of
achievements that include passing the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam and working for the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in hydraulic modeling and flood plain management. She tells ITE Journal
about her experience with ITE and passion for inspiring other young professionals in the industry.

Ariel Farnsworth (M)
Civil/Highways E.I.T.
Jacobs Engineering Group
St. Louis, MO, USA
Education: B.S. in Civil Engineering from
University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL)/
Washington University-St. Louis (WUSTL)
Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program
Fun Fact: Ariel's pride and joy
is her 6 year-old pit-bull
mix, Mira, a rescue.

ITE JOURNAL: Can you give us a brief history of how you got where you are today, working
in the industry and being involved with ITE?
FARNSWORTH: My first exposure to ITE was at the Student Leadership Summit hosted by
Purdue in 2017. I was enrolled in my first ever transportation class with then-ITE International President, Shawn Leight, and he told our class about the summit. I missed the sign up
deadline, but Shawn helped me get a spot. I was the only student from our program to go,
but I drove to Indianapolis, IN, USA after work and I'm happy I did. Being involved in ITE
and the relationships I developed helped me land my first professional job with Jacobs in
their civil/highways department.
ITEJ: Though in many ways you're just getting started, you've already had a wealth of
experience in the engineering field. What skills are you learning in your current position
and how do you think it will apply to what you hope to achieve in your career?
FARNSWORTH: The UMSL/WUSTL Joint Engineering Program (JEP) is unique in the way
that it allows students to pursue more rewarding internships and co-ops by utilizing night
classes taught by local professionals working in the industry. I was able to build up two years
of engineering experience before graduating! Currently I'm learning industry standards and
how the private sector works, but the skills and relationships I've cultivated over my years in
the public sector really give me the upper hand.
ITEJ: You helped make the ITE Student Leadership Summit (SLS) happen at the University
of Missouri - St. Louis earlier this year. How are summits like these valuable for students?
FARNSWORTH: The opportunity to host an ITE Student Leadership Summit at WUSTL
was amazing. The UMSL/WUSTL JEP isn't very well known and we don't have a formal
transportation program so before I attended my first SLS, the transportation engineering
industry and community was walled off from me. By the time I went to my second SLS in
Minneapolis I was able to appreciate more of the topics and understand the issues being
discussed. Without those opportunities, I don't think I would be where I am today, doing
something I enjoy right out of college. Minneapolis is where the idea of bringing the SLS to
St. Louis was born. St. Louis is special because not only is it my hometown, it is a hub for all
transportation types. Being able to bring something that helped me find my passion to my
very own community was beyond rewarding.

Farnsworth in the field during her co-op with
the St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District.
20

D ecem ber 2019

i t e jo u rn al

ITEJ: Why do you want to inspire young women to be transportation leaders?
FARNSWORTH: When I think of women who I look up to in the industry, I can count them
on one hand-not because there aren't women to look up to, but because I don't know who
they are or where to find them. I believe mentorship is a key part to becoming a professional,
and an obligation professionals have to younger staff and the profession itself. As a woman
in an industry still dominated by men, I have an obligation to support and encourage young
girls to be all they can be. If I can inspire one girl to take interest in the most central aspect
of our lives-transportation-that's one more perspective we've gained as a society, and one
more chance we've got to get it right! itej

ITE Journal – December 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ITE Journal – December 2019