{"id":98521,"date":"2026-04-22T04:00:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T08:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/?p=98521"},"modified":"2026-04-23T10:13:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T14:13:27","slug":"civil-engineering-senior-builds-foundation-for-career-and-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/04_22_2026\/civil-engineering-senior-builds-foundation-for-career-and-family","title":{"rendered":"Civil Engineering Senior Builds Foundation for Career and Family"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tyler Hespe is days away from graduation, but before he was preparing for a career in civil engineering, Hespe was busy in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

In high school, the Defiance native ran his own baking business, making everything from cookies to buckeye bars. It was a creative outlet and a way to earn extra money.<\/p>\n

\"Graduation

CELEBRATING SUCCESS:<\/strong> UToledo recognizes the Class of 2026 with a series of stories featuring students receiving their degrees at spring commencement<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

At The University of Toledo, Hespe found a new outlet in engineering, drawn by the opportunity to gain real-world experience while earning his degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted a school that had the benefits of a larger university but still felt personal,\u201d he said. \u201cUToledo stood out, especially with the co-op program. Being able to graduate debt-free and gain real experience made a big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hespe entered UToledo as a civil engineering student, interested in the construction field and the chance to work on projects that take shape in the real world. The program\u2019s flexibility allowed him to explore different paths within civil engineering while confirming his interest in construction and project management.<\/p>\n

Outside the classroom, Hespe found community through student organizations and campus life. He was involved in groups that include the American Society of Civil Engineers and Chi Epsilon, and he credits those experiences with helping him build connections beyond his major.<\/p>\n

That sense of connection extended into his personal life in a meaningful way.<\/p>\n

As a Rocket, Hespe met his future wife, Jillian, in a chemistry class. She was also an engineering student, studying mechanical engineering, and the two married in August of 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting married is definitely one of the best experiences I\u2019ve had in college,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Portrait

Through the UToledo co-op program, Tyler Hespe, who graduates May 2, gained real-world construction experience and secured a full-time job at Lathrop Turner.<\/p><\/div>\n

Jillian added that getting married during college, while not a traditional path for students, worked for the couple because they knew early in their relationship that they were each other’s missing piece.<\/p>\n

\u201cTyler is an incredibly passionate and driven person who always maintains a positive attitude regardless of the challenge,\u201d Jillian said. \u201cHis ability to stay kind and supportive, even during the busiest parts of his degree, is a true testament to his character.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarrying my best friend has been the highlight of our college years, and I am so proud to have been by his side throughout his journey at UToledo,\u201d she added. \u201cNext, he will be starting his full-time employment at the Lathrop Company, and I am so excited for him to begin this next chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the classroom, Tyler said he especially enjoyed learning from calculus professor Dr. David Gajewski, a senior lecturer in Mathematics.<\/p>\n

\u201cCalculus is one of the harder classes, but he made it approachable,\u201d Tyler said. \u201cHe explained things well and kept the class engaging. He was also funny, which made a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Wedding

Hespe met his future wife, Jillian, a mechanical engineering student, in a chemistry class. The couple married in August.<\/p><\/div>\n

Beyond the classroom, Tyler\u2019s co-op experiences played a major role in shaping his path. His first co-op took him to Cleveland, where he worked on a $1 billion construction project spanning 1.7 million square feet. It was also his first time living away from home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI kind of got thrown into the deep end,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I learned a lot very quickly. It was my first real experience being on my own, and that made a big impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

He later completed additional co-ops with Lathrop Turner, where he gained insight into the business side of construction through pre-construction work. That experience helped solidify his career goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been interested in the business side of engineering,\u201d he said. \u201cAs a project manager, you\u2019re not just building. You\u2019re managing budgets, timelines and people.\u201d<\/p>\n

After graduation, Tyler will return to Lathrop Turner as a full-time project engineer, with long-term goals of becoming a project manager and eventually a project executive.<\/p>\n

As he reflected on his time at UToledo, it is the relationships \u2014 both personal and professional \u2014 that stand out the most.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people I\u2019ve met, both on campus and through my co-ops, are what I\u2019ll carry with me,\u201d he said. \u201cThose connections are important, and I know they\u2019ll continue to grow throughout my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"Portrait<\/a>

Through the UToledo co-op program, Tyler Hespe, who graduates May 2, gained real-world construction experience and secured a full-time job at Lathrop Turner while building lifelong connections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":934,"featured_media":98526,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50,34,69,1,7],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98521"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/934"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98521"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98521\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98565,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98521\/revisions\/98565"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}