K+W Civil Engineer Wins ASCE SF YMF Award

Marianne Ghobreal, EIT, Project Engineer at Kier + Wright, received the American Society of Civil Engineers San Francisco Young Member Forum’s (ASCE SF YMF) Outstanding Young Civil Engineer award on Wednesday, September 29, 2022.

ASCE SF YMF is a group of young professional engineers working to empower and stimulate the civil engineering community and next generation of professionals. Their mission is to advance and promote the civil engineering profession by developing a strong network of peers, encouraging professional development, building ties with engineering students, and serving the public good.

Marianne served on the SF YMF Officer Board for the past year and currently serves as a Professional Development Chair. She received her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. During college, she was involved in the student chapter for ASCE, SWE and ITE and her passion for civil engineering has only grown stronger since then.

“Being a Professional Development Chair at ASCE YMF has enabled me to improve my leadership skills and expand my network in the industry,” said Marianne. “I joined this leadership position because I want to serve my community and create a positive impact to the environment that surrounds me.”

Marianne advises college graduates entering the workforce with a civil engineering degree to pursue their license as soon as possible and to expand their knowledge by being flexible in this industry.

“The best piece of advice I like to pass along is to be like water. Being flexible with change has enabled me to discover myself and break all boundaries by going after what I want,” said Marianne.

Since joining K+W almost four years ago, Marianne has worked on a wide variety of projects, from large industrial parks such as International Parkway of Commerce to low-Income residential housing developments for Habitat for Humanity. She is thankful for the opportunity to step out of her comfort zone and gain the hands-on knowledge needed to finalize her civil engineering license.

Marianne is humbled and honored to have won the Outstanding Young Civil Engineer award and is looking forward to seeing what comes next in her bright future.

“I appreciate my mentors for making my dream of being a woman engineer come true,” said Marianne. “I’m determined to pass it forward and help younger women engineers achieve their goals and dreams.”

Visit the SF YMF website for more information about the forum, its leadership, and opportunities to get involved.