Success leaves clues and a long-term position with the Far East District gave Mihui Yun great career advice to share with her daughter Emily who discovered a profession in civil engineering by following some good advice from her mother, a 41-year employee of the FED Central Resident Office (CRO) in Osan.
“Emily is smart. I knew she could study and become an engineer and I knew it would provide job security and a good future for her,” Mihui Yun says.
Emily heeded her mother’s sound guidance and obtained her degree with Mihui’s support all the way. Emily says, “My Mom would call me to make sure I was awake and prepared for my college exams throughout my entire college career. Because of my mom, I had the vision to reach for the dream of becoming an engineer and the grit to push through the challenges that were in my way.”
Emily Chong was born in Songtan, South Korea and moved to North Carolina at the age of fourteen where she completed her middle and high school education. She graduated from North Carolina State University, due in part to her mother’s urgings, with a degree in civil engineering. Following graduation, Emily returned to Korea to begin an internship in Osan with Base Civil Engineering. Upon successfully completing the program, she returned to the states and began working for the US Army Corps of Engineers in Georgia’s Savannah District as a resident engineer intern where she completed a USACE Pathways Program at Robbins Air Force Base.
The Corps’ Recent Graduate Program allowed Emily to advance within the organization before using her educational background and on-the-job experience to garner her latest position as a construction control representative for the FED Family Housing Resident Office (FHRO).
“I work with an amazing team. Each person brings their own experiences. For example, Mr. Yi and Mr. Kim Se Tong share their engineering experiences and stories with me. The best thing about working with this set of leaders is the wisdom they share with me about Korean construction along with the information from Mr. Aaron Schuff, another seasoned resident engineer. I am glad to work with the FHRO. Our office takes care of each other and our USACE leadership team is second to none.”
When asked if there were anything Emily would like to say to her mother for leading her into a career in engineering, her response was heartfelt and to the point, “Thank you for making me strong. You are the best! I love you and thank you for being my Mom.”
Emily’s mom, Mihui also had kind words for her daughter. “I am very proud of Emily. She took my advice and made a decision that is good for her future. Thanks for listening to your Mom.”
The Corps' Recent Graduate Program allows graduates, within two years of their program completion date, the opportunity to obtain a clear path to federal internships.
You may learn more about this and other Pathways Programs by visiting https://www.usace.army.mil/Careers/Internships.aspx.