Past Featured Alumni Interview

	Alumni:	Larry Jaworski
	Field:	Environmental Engineering
	Position:	Partner in the firm of Greeley and Hansen LL, a member of the JETS Board of Directors, and past president of the Water Environment Federation
	"I wasn't the most stellar student. I'd tell kids just to stick to it, just to keep at it. If it takes you more than four years — just stick with it."

Mr. Jaworski is a Principal with the firm of Greeley and Hansen LLC (Upper Marlboro, MD). Among his many responsibilities, he is Program Director for the Engineering Program Management Consultant IIIA (Sewer Systems) program for the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DCWASA). This program is a five-year, $11.5 million assignment to assess the physical condition and hydraulic capacity of the entire sewer system within the District of Columbia. The sewer system consists of sanitary sewers, storm sewers and combined sewers. Jaworski was previously involved in the preparation of the Combined Sewer System Long Term Control Plan for DCWASA.

JETS: How did you choose engineering for your profession?

Mr. Jaworski: I grew up in Chicago, Illinois, where I attended a technical high school. When I was a junior, I applied and was accepted to my school's JETS Club. It was run by one of the math teachers. It was an exclusive club; you had to have a certain grade point average to be accepted. I hadn't made up my mind about engineering yet, but I was heading that way.

Our JETS club had monthly meetings. The most interesting were the trips we took to universities to tour engineering schools. It was a great opportunity for a kid in the city to see a lot of colleges around the region. I remember going to Purdue, Michigan State, Michigan, Illinois, and some other places along the way. Because these visits were arranged through our school, we also got to meet with some with some of the professors. This is one of the things I remember most, and it's what led me to choose engineering at the University of Illinois.

Engineering has been my whole career, and I've been very happy. I started out wanting to do aeronautical engineering, but in the early 1970s the market for aeronautical engineering was weak. My advisor suggested I think about changing engineering fields and told me about an evolving opportunity in civil engineering. At that time they called it sanitary engineering. He said it was an up-and-coming field.

In 1972, the U.S. passed the Clean Water Act, and things really took off. Now, of course, it's called environmental engineering. I am fortunate to have had a ground floor opportunity to get involved in such a rewarding profession. Today I'm a partner in a nationwide firm that specializes in wastewater treatment. I recently finished a one-year term as president of the Water Environment Federation, an international organization with 36,000 members around the world. In addition, I currently serve on the JETS Board of Directors, and am eager to help expand the program that benefited me so much. Things turned out OK for a kid from the northwest side of Chicago.

"Engineering is a great profession. We see the results of our work. I don't know that there's anything more fulfilling than being able to solve a problem and see your solution provide a benefit for people and the environment."

JETS: Any thoughts for high school students considering engineering today?

Mr. Jaworski: Participating in JETS provides a tremendous opportunity for students to get a sense of what engineering is really about while they're still in high school. I'm amazed when I look back on the little course changes you experience in life that make a big difference in where you end up. Being a 17 year old in high school and trying to make a career decision you'll have to live with for life is tough. It's among the most difficult decisions you ever make. JETS allowed me to see what engineering was like — and what studying engineering in college would be like. It helped me decide to go down that road.

JETS can also help students begin interacting with engineering firms. The JETS Board is looking to develop opportunities for students to do more of that including providing mentors and getting more engineers in the classrooms to talk about what we do. Not only do we need kids to understand engineering as opposed to accounting or law, for example, but they also need to understand what aspect of engineering they're interested in — be it civil, structural, electrical or whatever. And that's a lot of decisions to make when you're 18 for 19 years old.

Engineering is a great profession. Obviously, I'm partial to environmental engineering. Not only do you get the opportunity to solve problems — which is what engineering is all about — in environmental engineering, you get to solve those problems and preserve and protect the environment at the same time. We see the results of our work. I don't know that there's anything more fulfilling than being able to solve a problem and see your solution provide a benefit for people and the environment.

JETS: What did you like about studying engineering?

Mr. Jaworski: I particularly liked the discipline it instills on you in solving problems. It teaches you how to organize your thoughts and approach problems. It's not only critical to the work we do, but I've also found it to be beneficial in all aspects of life. When you're faced with a problem, you know how to organize the facts and attack: What do I know? What don't I know? How do I go about solving this problem? To me that's one of the strengths of being an engineer.

JETS: What advice would you give students who decide to study engineering?

Mr. Jaworski: I wasn't the most stellar student. I'd tell kids just to stick to it, just to keep at it. If it takes you more than four years — just stick with it. A number of schools are going to five-year programs. The load I took to get my degree in four years was almost crushing. If it takes five years to do it, that's OK. You've got the rest of you like to work. What's the rush? If you're struggling, every university I'm aware of has support. There are tutors. There are classes you can take. The professors I've had were always very willing to try to work with you and help you out. Reach out for that help. Don't face this all by yourself.

The world is always going to need engineers. It's a good profession. It provides you a good life and lets you do something that's going to make a difference. JETS is a start in that profession.

Editor's Note: Greely and Hansen is listed as one of the 101 Best Firms To Work For.