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Going Above and Beyond
Here at Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS), our employee-owners pride themselves on going above and beyond to not only further their careers, but ESS as a whole. We’d like to dedicate some bragging rights to Joel Monnig, Estimator in our Columbia office with our Heavy Highway team for earning his Masters in Engineering. Hard hats off to you, Joel!
For the past two and a half years as an employee-owner, Joel has been simultaneously putting in the hours at ESS while also working towards earning his Masters in Engineering at the University of Missouri. Finding a balance between career, school, and his personal life was no walk in the park, but with the help of his family, fiancé, and manager, Joel received his Masters in June 2021. We are proud to recognize his accomplishment and the sacrifices he made to earn it. We’re lucky to have an employee-owner with a drive like Joel.
Although not required at ESS or for his current position as an estimator, a Masters in Engineering is certainly more than a few letters behind your name. They represent much more than that. Those letters show dedication, drive, and passion – all things that employee-owners at ESS need. While working towards earning his master’s, Joel demonstrated his ability to effectively manage his ESS work schedule, as well as his school schedule and his passion for the industry and learning.
One of the biggest motivators Joel had for his mission to master’s was the qualifications that come with it. “Having a Masters in Engineering gives me a broader basis of knowledge that I can bring to the table during future pursuits at ESS. This also opened up the opportunity for me to eventually take my Professional Engineer (PE) exam. A masters isn’t required, but having one positions me as a more qualified candidate to take the exam,” said Joel.
While there are several benefits of getting a Masters in Engineering, Joel had to overcome many challenges along the way. The biggest challenge he had to face was balancing his schoolwork, workload at ESS, and personal life. Luckily, with the support of his loved ones and extended ESS family, this decision was a no-brainer. “Schedule flexibility was important and ESS made it really easy for me to manage those expectations,” said Joel. “With the understanding and support of my manager, Chip Jones, I was able to complete both my work from ESS and school on time, and attend classes when our schedule allowed. My teachers also worked with me and allowed me to do things virtually if needed.”
Vice President, Chip Jones P.E., shared some positive words about Joel’s hard work toward receiving his Masters in Engineering. “Joel is like a sponge – he is always willing to learn and pick up nuances. His work ethic was there and when he decided to get his masters, we knew he could do it. He always had his work done and never let his classwork interfere with his workload. It is also very impressive that Joel is one of the few employee-owners to receive his Masters in Engineering.”
At ESS, the opportunities to grow are endless. Whether it’s growth in your career or continuing education, ESS is here to help by being flexible and providing numerous opportunities. We provide career paths for everyone and encourage our employee-owners to continue educating themselves in order to grow.
