Staff Spotlight: Sam Wheeler, PE

Sam Wheeler joined our team with experience working with commercial, residential, municipal, healthcare, and governmental clients to accomplish a broad range of land development, grading and drainage, ADA improvements, utility design, traffic engineering, land surveying, and rail engineering. Welcome to our team, Sam, we are glad to have you here!   

What did you do before joining Civiltec? (Work&School) 

I worked for Stantec for a year and a half as a project manager in the community development division. I worked 100% from home during that time which came with its pros and cons. Before that, I worked for IDS where I split my time between the office and the field, doing both civil engineering and land surveying. 

What made you decide to pursue engineering? 

I’ve always liked to draw using exact measurements. When I was in junior high school, I took a hand drafting class. While in high school, I took another drafting class, but this time we were using AutoCAD. I started to really enjoy the projects I was working on. Initially, I thought I would study architecture in college, but after taking a tour of Cal Poly Pomona, I was fascinated by the civil engineering department and decided to apply there.

Is there a discipline you are particularly drawn towards in engineering? Why do you feel drawn to it? 

I would say I’m drawn to site development. There’s something really satisfying about seeing a site before any changes, then creating a design on the computer, and then seeing the site after construction has been completed. From time to time, I will still look at old project sites on Google Earth.

What drew you to work for Civiltec? 

I like the wide range of projects and people and how everyone works together to make things happen.

What do you enjoy about your day-to-day work? 

I like a challenge, and there’s always a challenge to overcome.

What has been one highlight of the past few months? (A favorite project or day?)

There was a week or so where I had to focus on an update to the design of Middle School 4 in Menifee. The design had been completed, but the school wanted to add two basketball courts. It was extremely challenging to make it work and it occupied my thoughts for that week, but I was very pleased when it was finally completed.

What has been a particular challenge in your professional career and how did you go about solving it? 

In college, the requirements and progression are very clear, but there is no guidebook for a career. In the past, I’ve felt the biggest challenge is the lack of a challenge. Sometimes, I didn’t know what to do to improve. I’ve learned that mentors are extremely important. Learning from others and teaching others is what makes this profession go.

What is your goal at Civiltec? 

My goal is to try to learn as much as possible from everyone. There are so many knowledgeable and capable people here at Civiltec. I believe we learn through doing and everyone has valuable knowledge to share.

What do you do besides working?  

I enjoy cycling, working on electronics, watching horror movies, watching old game shows, and spending time with my wife and daughter. Our favorite show is Password.

What is the best gaming console in your opinion? 

I’m partial to any of the cartridge-based consoles. But my favorite is probably my first, which is the Sega Genesis my brother and I got for Christmas. I still collect and repair retro games and hardware. I have a soldering iron and some tools that I use. 

Any recommendations for computer gamers? 

I would recommend building your own computer. It’s satisfying to build it for yourself and you’ll be familiar with the parts and how to change them. You can keep a computer going for quite a while. I’ve upgraded my cpu, graphics card, and hard drives. The hardest part is sticking to the budget.