{"id":109844,"date":"2022-02-22T08:49:26","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T14:49:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/?p=109844"},"modified":"2022-02-25T10:15:56","modified_gmt":"2022-02-25T16:15:56","slug":"overcoming-obstacles-onward-and-upward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web20.olemiss.edu\/news\/wordpress\/overcoming-obstacles-onward-and-upward\/","title":{"rendered":"Overcoming Obstacles, Onward and Upward"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Michael Hobbs. Submitted photo<\/p><\/div>\n

Michael Hobbs (BSCE 19) is a shining example of tenacity and triumph.<\/p>\n

Faced with seemingly insurmountable problems such as financial obstacles as an undergraduate, the University of Mississippi<\/a> alumnus overcame all the odds to finish college and build a successful career.<\/p>\n

The Clarksdale native decided to attend Ole Miss because the engineering program was well respected in the state, and it allowed him to be closer to home in case of emergencies.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to work two jobs in order to pay for school, books and keep a roof over my head,\u201d Hobbs said. \u201cMy jobs included working at Home Depot for two years, the Institution of Child Nutrition<\/a> as a student worker and at Lowe’s for two years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to sit out at least two semesters because I couldn\u2019t afford the tuition. Having to work so much also affected my grades and my performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mentors Made All the Difference<\/strong><\/p>\n

The difficulties Hobbs faced might have ended his academic pursuits had it not been for the encouragement he received from some caring School of Engineering<\/a> faculty and staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Hakan Yasarer became the first favorite because he opened up to me about his struggles as a student,\u201d Hobbs said. \u201cHearing that really motivated me to work harder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Civil engineering<\/a> professors Ahmed Al-Ostaz, Hunain Alkhateb, Chris Mullen, Jacob Najjar and the late Waheed Uddin all had their own way of teaching, but Hobbs found their compassion for their students was the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach of them would look out on the best interest of the students,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

For example, when Hobbs took Senior Design he had to present throughout the semester on different topics such as the foundation, structure design and so forth. The night before he was to present the structure design portion of the project, his kitchen went up in flames.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo make a long story short, my presentation was horrible and I was just a mental wreck,\u201d he said. \u201cI didn\u2019t mention what happened to my group or Hunain until the following week. Hunain showed me so much compassion, and she truly understood how I felt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hobbs credited Cris Surbeck, chair and professor of civil engineering, with challenging his ability and making him think beyond his limits.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Surbeck is truly a blessing from God, and I am so thankful for the privilege of having attended her class,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Surbeck said she knew Hobbs could be successful because he has an incredibly positive and proactive attitude.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough he struggled in classes because of his work schedule, he was engaged,\u201d she said. \u201cI met one-on-one with him several times to get him through one of my classes, and I could see that he understood the material if only he had time to study.\u201d<\/p>\n

Senior assistant dean Marni Kendricks played a major role in Hobbs\u2019 career choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to talk to her after my mom\u2019s house caught a fire back in Clarksdale,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Delta flooded really badly that year. I was thinking about changing my major at that point, and Marni told me to take a step back, talk to some people that share the same struggles. That really helped me to refocus and not allow life speed bumps to force me off the path of success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prosperity and Promise Prevail<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hobbs praised the supervisors at his various places of employment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey treated me like their own at ICN,\u201d he said. \u201cJonathan Bishop would call me every week to make (sure) I was studying and encouraging me to finish school whenever I had to take a semester off. <\/p>\n

“Warren Russell at Home Depot would let me take off if needed or show up to work late so I could get my schoolwork completed. Warren\u2019s wife would pack extra food in his lunch box for me. She calls me her son even to this day. These two guys really helped me survive and stay (focused) on graduating.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hobbs received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree in December 2019. After completing his last final, he went back to work at the ICN and was offered a full-time position. He continued to work his second job at Lowe\u2019s and study for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam on the weekends.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Engineer-in-training Michael Hobbs (left) confers with another MDOT employee at a construction site. Submitted photo<\/p><\/div>\n

Hobbs received a life-changing email from Surbeck in September 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cI met a retired [Mississippi Department of Transportation<\/a>] engineer who told me MDOT was looking for engineers to work in the Delta,\u201d Surbeck said. \u201cHe also happened to mention that he struggled through school, but that MDOT gave him a chance to grow as an engineer despite his difficulties.<\/p>\n

“I told him I might have a recent graduate for him. I got him and Michael connected, and Michael got the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hobbs left Lowe\u2019s in September 2020 and started at MDOT Oct. 1, 2020.<\/p>\n

Before Hobbs left Home Depot, he received the Entrepreneur Driven Award.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat honor helps me to continue to take pride in my work and always work through God,\u201d he said. \u201cThat and studying a chapter of the Bible every morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Epilogue<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today, Hobbs works as an engineer-in-training at MDOT in Leland. There his job duties include inspecting and documenting all project activities and ensuring that all work is being done according to the plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also ensure that the testing is being collected and documented correctly,\u201d he said. \u201cI prepare monthly estimates and final documents for the Contract Administration Division.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his role, Hobbs uses surveying equipment and CADD programs to calculate and document quantities for estimates. These help him to establish good working relationships with contractors and fellow employees.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very proud of Michael\u2019s hard work and willpower to complete his BSCE degree,\u201d said Yacoub “Jacob” Najjar, professor of civil engineering. \u201cHe was able to overcome many difficulties during his time at Ole Miss. His intelligence and resilience will serve him well in his professional life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hobbs lives in Clarksdale with his fianc\u00e9e, Yolanda Curry. The couple has three children: Michael Hobbs Jr., Mi\u2019Kiyah Hobbs and Synia Curry. He enjoys listening to music, playing basketball, exercising, working puzzles of all sorts and spending time with his children.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Michael Hobbs (BSCE 19) is a shining example of tenacity and triumph. Faced with seemingly insurmountable problems such as financial obstacles as an undergraduate, the University of Mississippi alumnus overcame all the odds to finish college and build a successful career. The Clarksdale native decided to attend Ole Miss because the engineering program was wellRead the story …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1422,178],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nOvercoming Obstacles, Onward and Upward - Ole Miss News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/overcoming-obstacles-onward-and-upward\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Overcoming Obstacles, Onward and Upward - Ole Miss News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Michael Hobbs (BSCE 19) is a shining example of tenacity and triumph. Faced with seemingly insurmountable problems such as financial obstacles as an undergraduate, the University of Mississippi alumnus overcame all the odds to finish college and build a successful career. 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