DEI Committee Engages with Youth at College and Career Fair

The American Water Works Association’s Kentucky/Tennessee chapter highlighted opportunities for a career in water at the 16^th annual Showcase of Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) College and Career Fair held last month in Louisville. Members of the KY/TN Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee attended.

Louisville Water Digital Media Specialist and Committee Chair Lauren Horton along with committee members Shane Crow and Saa Shemsu represented the KY/TN AWWA chapter at the event held at the Kentucky International Convention Center in November.

More than 2,000 middle, high school, and college students attended the fair and dozens of universities, businesses, and organizations were on hand to inspire the next generation entering the workforce.

Horton, Crow, and Shemsu talked to the students about water professional careers and the educational paths to follow for success.

“It’s important that we have representation at an event like this. Students may be interested in engineering, biology, or communications, but they may not know that they can use that degree in the water industry,” Horton said.

Crow, a construction inspector at Kentucky American Water, advised students to choose a career that they’re passionate about in order to succeed. Shemsu, a project executive at Gresham Smith, talked to students about the engineering field and how his career is integral in the water industry. Horton made students aware of unique careers in the water industry such as communications and marketing. The trio reinforced the value of water, and the essential careers needed to supply it as a sustainable resource.