For the month of April, our employee spotlight falls on Joe Santalucia, Junior Civil Designer. Continue reading to learn more about Joe and his career in engineering.
Tell us about yourself! Where did you grow up, what do you like to do in your free time, and anything else you want to share?
I was born and raised in Toronto, my family is Italian but my father is Sicilian; so, not only am I accustomed to
frigid Canadian temperatures, but I can also make a mean plate of pasta. In my free time I enjoy snowboarding, playing music and watching Korean dramas. I hope one day I can learn the language so I can finally pay attention to what is happening without the subtitles.
Where did you go to school and what did you study?
I went to school at York University where I studied Civil Engineering. Attending the Civil Engineering Program there was very exciting as it was new. There were a lot of ups and downs, but I hope I can go back to York one day and thank my professors for all their support in preparing us to be great engineers.
How did your career path lead you to LEA?
My experience in my schoolwork and my interest in stormwater management is what lead me to LEA. It has been my first role in an engineering company, and I could not be more grateful for all the experiences and lessons I have learned during my time here.
What does the average workday look like in your role?
Usually, my day consists of assisting in drawings and design, as well as taking part in some sewer modelling. There are usually a few in-house meetings where we discuss project details and debrief about what we are watching on Netflix during the lockdown.
What career goals and/or aspirations do you have?
I hope to continue to learn and develop as an engineer and work towards obtaining my P.Eng. certification in the future.
Describe a project that you have worked on that was memorable to you; what did this project entail, what was your role, and why was it memorable?
A project at LEA that has been memorable to me would have to be one of our current projects located at 185 Enfield Place in Mississauga. It was one of the first projects I started working on at the company. Working on the project has taught me countless lessons about design, engineering work, and coordinating with others. It has been a very memorable project because I have learned a lot and shared many laughs with the team along the way.
Finally, do you have any advice or words of wisdom to share?
Keep your head up, hands washed and never stop smiling.