Alumni Spotlight | Essence Pitts
2024 Alumni, Herff College of Engineering

Transitioning to college was a little overwhelming.

How do I apply for scholarships? What should I bring for my dorm? How do I make tuition payments?

As a first-generation college student, I had no blueprint. Everything was new and honestly a little chaotic. Thankfully, I had friends and family who did what they could to help. My aunt offered guidance, my friends helped me navigate campus life and together we figured it out.

We studied together, leaned on each other and made sure no one got left behind. If I didn’t know something, someone else usually did — and vice versa.

And last but not least, my mother. Even though she didn’t fully understand why I wanted to pursue a math-heavy major like engineering, she supported me every step of the way. Her encouragement meant everything, especially when I wasn’t confident in myself.

But even with all that support, I still wasn’t sure I belonged in engineering.

I wasn’t great at math in high school. I doubted myself a lot. But something told me to keep going.

And through discipline, hard work and a lot of trial and error, I made it through. I earned my degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Memphis.

If I can do it, I believe anyone with a good work ethic and a driven mentality can.

Finding My Path

That’s when I was introduced to civil engineering. A professor pointed me toward the engineering building, where I met the department chair and eventually Dr. Stephanie Ivey.

Meeting Dr. Ivey changed everything.

I walked into her office with a notebook full of dreams and left with a sense of direction.

She showed me that civil engineering had so many paths — including environmental engineering — and helped me see how I could align my passions with a real career.

Since that day, she’s been a mentor to me.

Dr. Ivey also introduced me to the STEM Ambassadors program. We were a group of students in STEM majors doing outreach in West Tennessee schools. We visited classrooms, helped with robotics and science projects and ran camps like Girls Experiencing Engineering (GEE).

That camp changed my perspective.

There I was, surrounded by middle and high school girls building motorized cars and robots. I had never done anything like that before. Honestly, I wasn’t even that kind of kid growing up — I didn’t play with tech toys. But watching those girls light up with excitement sparked something in me.

I realized I loved this stuff.

And I realized how important it is for girls, especially girls who look like me, to see someone in engineering who understands their journey. Even now, I jump at the chance to represent my company at career fairs. Because I remember how powerful it was to see someone who looked like me doing something I dreamed about. Representation matters.

Designing Safer Cities

After graduation, I wasn’t exactly sure what was next.

Some job prospects hadn’t worked out, but a couple of friends mentioned an internship with the City of Memphis in transportation.

I figured I’d give it a shot.

That internship turned into a full-time job, and now I work in traffic operations. I design traffic signals, signage, striping and speed humps for city streets. It might sound technical — and it is — but it also feels creative.

If you’re a student feeling like you don’t belong in STEM, I’ve been there. Imposter syndrome is real. I was never a straight-A math student. I had to teach myself how to study. I had to lock myself in my room and put in hours of practice.

But I made it.

Engineering is hard. But it’s also wide open. There’s room for creativity, for purpose, for people who want to make a difference. So, keep going. Surround yourself with people who support you.

And don’t count yourself out. You might surprise yourself. I know I did.

Most of our work comes from citizens.

If someone calls about speeding on their street or a dangerous intersection, we go to assess it. We look at traffic volume, speed data, pedestrian activity and figure out what’s needed — maybe it’s stop signs, maybe speed humps, maybe a full intersection redesign.

It’s rewarding to know the work I do is keeping people safe.

The Memphis Difference

Memphis has a certain energy. It’s a passionate, vibrant, loud city. And I find it so inspiring.

I work downtown in City Hall, and that is truly the place where I get to see the community come together. People here care. They speak up. They fight for each other.

Memphis is different, and its home.

The University of Memphis will always be part of that, too. I’ll never forget those late-night study sessions with classmates. People I barely talked to during the semester became my 2 a.m. study partners before finals.

There’s a bond in the struggle.

And I cherish that.

My Advice

If you’re a student feeling like you don’t belong in STEM, I’ve been there. Imposter syndrome is real. I was never a straight-A math student. I had to teach myself how to study. I had to lock myself in my room and put in hours of practice.

But I made it.

Engineering is hard. But it’s also wide open. There’s room for creativity, for purpose, for people who want to make a difference. So, keep going. Surround yourself with people who support you.

And don’t count yourself out. You might surprise yourself. I know I did.