Seattle Spotlight: Shengnan Zhao Obtains her Professional Engineering License in 2020
The road to licensure for an engineer is arduous, though rewarding. Professional Engineers must complete a four-year degree, work under a Professional Engineer for at least four years, pass both the national and state specific exams and earn a license from their state licensure board. In order to retain their license, they must pursue continuing education to stay informed on industry trends and current practices.
The license is the highest level of standard for professional engineers and creates lifelong opportunities for career advancement and personal fulfillment. The passing of the PE exam is an incredible achievement, made possible by hard work, dedication and design expertise. AHBL is very proud to announce the licensure of Shengnan Zhao in 2020.
Shengnan received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Cornell University, followed by a Master of Science in Structural Engineering from Stanford University. She joined AHBL as an intern in the Seattle office in the summer of 2017, where she put her skills into practice. She was drawn in by the city environment and enjoyed working in the bustling, urban area.
Her experience as an intern was educational, and the environment of support and guidance from her team was motivational. Her colleagues took the time to listen to her questions and provide detailed answers. When she finished graduate school, she was thrilled to accept the full time return offer.
Working in her field gave Shengnan the opportunity to put her education into practice and deepen her understanding of concepts she learned in school. She was able to see the design and completion of an entire building - a process which is not possible in school due to the lengthy timelines of most projects. Though studying for exams after work hours was exhausting, it was also rewarding.
For Shengnan, the Professional Engineer license is a major milestone for those in her career. But the exams aren’t over. Her PE license is the first step in the process and will be followed up with the Structural Engineer license, and licensure in additional states. For now, she enjoys her achievement and is excited to display the physical copy of her license when it arrives in the mail.
Shengnan’s achievement is just one of many certifications and professional development milestones from AHBL staff members in 2020. With a new year ahead of us, we are excited to see what our staff members will accomplish.
AHBL supports and encourages staff to obtain professional lisensure. In 2020, we achieved great things. Congratulations to the following team members, and all those who achieved certifications and registrations this past year.
New Professional Engineers
- Michael Williams
- Dan Hendrickson
- Shengnan Zhao
- Casey Jeszeck
- Ryan Inouye
New AICP Certifications (American Institute of Certified Planners)
- Emily Adams
- MillieAnne VanDevender