Jimmy H. Smith, Ph.D., P.E. Graduate Scholarship Recipient

Sophia Shelton graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and will begin her graduate studies in structural engineering there in Fall 2026. She has gained hands-on experience through research at the Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory and internships in structural design.

Sophia is actively involved in leadership and professional development through the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, where she founded the UT Austin student chapter. She is honored to receive a scholarship from the Texas Engineering Foundation in support of her continued education.

ATSPE Undergraduate Scholarship Recipient

Juan Villagomez is a third-year Electrical Engineering student at the University of Texas at Arlington. He is deeply interested in embedded hardware, digital design, and PCB development. Juan has a strong foundation in hands-on engineering, having completed projects involving real-time object tracking and custom IoT hardware.

Juan is honored to be a recipient of the 2026 ATSPE Undergraduate Scholarship and looks forward to a career in electrical engineering.

TEF Undergraduate Scholarship Recipient

Kennedy Franklin is a Junior at Texas A&M University pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering with a focus in Water Resources. Throughout her time at Texas A&M University, she has been involved in on-campus organizations, including the Society of Women Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and Aggies Selflessly Serving in Shaping Tomorrow. Through these organizations, she has been afforded the opportunity to participate in various community service events where she enjoys giving back to those around her.

After earning her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, she intends to pursue Professional Engineering licensure. Ultimately, she hopes to become licensed and use her education, experiences, and certification to play an integral role in community development and transformation.

ATSPE Undergraduate Scholarship Recipient

Josiah Romero is a rising senior in Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University with a strong interest in vertical flight. He has been a part of the vertical flight design team at Texas A&M for multiple years and hopes to work on novel designs in the vertical flight field following graduation.

Outside of class, Josiah enjoys reading science fiction and spending time with family and pets.

TEF Undergraduate Scholarship Recipient

Ria Kim is a sophomore at The University of Texas at Austin pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus in robotics. She is a student technician at the Machine Shop in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and previously gained hands-on experience through an internship at a robotics startup, where she worked on mechanical and electrical subsystems for robotic systems.

This summer, she plans to intern at AST SpaceMobile, where she will gain experience in the testing and validation of aerospace electrical and power systems.

TEF Undergraduate Scholarship Recipient

Baylor University Mechanical Engineering 2028, Division 1 Track and Field Athlete, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Intern.

TEF Undergraduate Scholarship Recipient

My name is Isabella Condado. I grew up in Pasadena, Texas, and am currently attending the University of Houston. I am now in the final year of my Civil Engineering BSE and expect to graduate in May 2027. After graduation, I hope to work in structural engineering, whether in the design of large-scale buildings or transportation systems. My interest in structural engineering stems from growing up in the Houston area. Every time I visited Downtown, I remember staring in awe at the network of highways and skyline of skyscrapers. The sheer scope of these projects and the people they impacted astonished me.

This Summer 2026, I will now be starting my internship in the heart of Downtown Houston, working on transportation structures with a global engineering firm. As I continue along my journey, I plan to pursue my master’s degree and PE licensure.